However, the mortality rate among these newborns, which weigh only 40 grams, is very high—it’s around 50 percent! And so it goes without saying that the Herberstein Zoo is doing everything in its power to provide the best possible care for the baby monkeys. “The first 10 days are critical. But our twins have come through them just fine,” reports zoo veterinarian Reinhard Pichler with delight. Monkey twins were also born back in 2013, but only one of them survived the first few days.

An independent monkey family
Mom Freeza is an experienced mother, and Dad Chrisu actively supports her. The baby monkeys, which are about 10 cm tall and weigh 40 grams, are always with their parents, clinging tightly to their mother and father during the first few days. With the two youngest, there are now a total of 7 Liszt’s marmosets in Herberstein.
They got their name because their hair resembles that of the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Liszt; they belong to the marmoset family. The adult monkeys are about 40 cm in length and weigh a maximum of 450 grams.