Farewell to Nacho… Why his move is important for conservation of the Red Titi Monkey

We bid a fond farewell to one of the Red Titi Monkey’s at Twycross Zoo today. Nacho (aged 4) is off to join a bachelor group at Exmoor Zoo, a rural zoo set into a North Devon valley.

These titi monkeys are managed within a European Breeding Programme. Although classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, like many primates they are threatened by the long term effects of deforestation in the rainforests of South America.

How does a bachelor group help European breeding?

Zoos play a vital role in conservation, through breeding species at risk of extinction in the wild. However, making offspring is not the only goal of a breeding programme. In some cases, a good population structure requires a bachelor group.

Bachelor groups are created to ensure these social animals avoid isolation and may also be called upon for breeding at another stage in their life.

As a member of BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums), Twycross Zoo and Exmoor Zoo actively co-operate in national and international breeding programmes for many of the worlds rarest birds and animals. This ensures there is a genetically and demographically healthy population of a number of endangered species and includes making recommendations about breeding and transfers of animals which keeps the population healthy.

Are there still Red Titi Monkey’s at Twycross Zoo?

Absolutely…and they’re just one of over 80 different species you can visit across our 100-acre site.

Twycross Zoo is home to one of the largest primate collections in Europe and the only zoo in the UK, and one of only four worldwide, where visitors can see all four great apes – gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee and bonobo.