Chattanooga Zoo reveals names of Tamarin Twins
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Zoo has officially announced the winning names for its emperor tamarin twins: Basil and Sage.
The two male tamarins were born in October and quickly became favorites among zoo visitors and staff.
Shortly after their birth, News 12 received an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the newborn primates, with masks required to help protect the babies from germs and illness during their early development.
Now several months old, the twins are growing stronger and becoming more independent each day.
Jake Cash, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Chattanooga Zoo, says the pair has reached an exciting stage of development.
“They used to ride around on their mom and dad’s backs, but now they’re getting around really well on their own. They’re an arboreal species, like all tamarins and marmosets, so they jump through the trees just like they would in their natural habitats in South America.”
To celebrate the twins, the zoo invited the public to help name them through a community voting contest.
Keepers selected three pairs of names Basil and Sage, Monty and Addie, and Gouda and Havarti and supporters voted through donations made online and in person over several weeks.
Cash says the contest brought strong community engagement while also supporting the zoo’s mission.
“Our keepers came up with three sets of names that we let the public vote on. We had people voting for a couple of weeks through donations to the zoo. The winning names in our emperor tamarin naming contest were Basil and Sage, and we’re really excited to welcome them to our zoo animal family.”
The twins are now on exhibit in the zoo’s Corcovado Jungle section, where visitors can watch them explore their habitat and interact with their parents.
All proceeds from the naming contest will go directly toward animal care and conservation efforts.
Cash says the naming event highlights the zoo’s broader goal of connecting the public with wildlife.
“A huge part of our mission at the zoo is to connect people with animals. We find that when you can actually see something and experience it, you care a lot more than if you never got to experience it firsthand.”
And this month, visitors can see the new babies at a discount.
The zoo is offering 15% off memberships in an effort to grow the Chattanooga Zoo family even bigger.
Zoo officials thank the community for participating and supporting the care of the animals.
Visitors are encouraged to stop by and meet Basil and Sage as they continue to grow.
