Cricket was diagnosed with diabetes back in 2022
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Brevard Zoo is sad to share that Cricket, their 23-year-old cotton-top tamarin patriarch, passed away on November 23.
According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the median lifespan for cotton-top tamarins is about 12 years of age, making Cricket’s life exceptionally long.
“While we will miss Cricket, we are proud of our excellent animal wellbeing standards and dedicated animal care teams which allowed Cricket to thrive so long into his “golden years”,” said a Brevard Zoo spokesperson.
Cricket faced many health challenges in his later years, including being diagnosed with diabetes back in 2022.
During this time, our team moved quickly to assess and treat this life-threatening diagnosis with modified diets, appropriate medication and attentive care.
Last summer, we were thrilled to find out Cricket had gone into diabetic remission, however, it did return a few months later.
Over the last year, Cricket also began to experience periods of lethargy, unsteadiness, weight loss and other abnormal behaviors. Brevard Zoo’s keeper team continued to make adjustments, such as habitat modifications, to keep him more comfortable.
In early November, Cricket’s health declined significantly, and hourly check-ins were started by his animal care team to observe him more closely. Unfortunately, after tailored diet changes, medical treatments and numerous exams, Cricket succumbed to his ailments.
His necropsy revealed abnormalities in his liver, gall bladder, kidneys, adrenal glands and stomach. We hope to learn more from histopathology, or the microscopic examination of the cells of organs.
Cricket will be remembered by his animal care team for his calm yet confident nature and his role as a caring father and loving mate to our cotton-top tamarin matriarch, Luna.
“Cricket had the sweetest soul,” said Rainforest Revealed Area Supervisor Grace.
The Rainforest Revealed team often observed Rudy, one of Cricket’s older sons, grooming Cricket and caring for him in his old age. Cricket always ensured all his sons were taken care of as well, but when the younger boys became a little too rambunctious, Cricket would go off and get some alone time with Luna. The two loved to nap in the sun together, noted Grace.
Cricket also had a deep and meaningful connection with his keepers that will long outlast his physical presence on this earth.
“Whenever I would train him, or even just chat with him during snack time, he would always gaze into my eyes so intentionally and chirp softly in response,” said Grace. “I will never forget it.”
The cotton-top tamarin troop has been doing well since Cricket’s passing. However, we do expect plans will go into place to establish another breeding pair of this critically endangered species at our Zoo. This may mean that some current male troop members may head off to other Zoos to potentially start their own families as part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP). It’s been our privilege to welcome a number of cotton-top tamarin babies over the years, helping build a genetically-diverse population of this species and help ensure their long-term survival.
