Golden Lion Tamarin

Tamarins encompass a whole swath of small monkeys found across Central and South American rainforests. This specific type of monkey can be identified by their non-prehensile tails, clawed hands in lieu of opposable thumbs, and their small size. While each breed of tamarin can vary drastically in color and physical features, the Golden Lion Tamarins are known for their golden fur and fluffy head hair that resembles a lion’s mane. While originally found all across Brazilian rainforests, today they only inhabit about 2% to 5% of their historic range in a few nature preserves in southeastern Brazil. Here they can be found in small family units where they traverse the treetops while foraging for food and hiding in ever changing nests found inside tree trunks. Unfortunately, due to a combination of poaching, deforestation, illegal pet trades, and predation from larger animals has caused this species’ population to degrade drastically. This is extra concerning due to these monkeys’ role as seed dispersers in their ecosystems. Thankfully, conservation efforts have been made by zoos, wildlife organizations, and the Brazilian government in order to stabilize the population and attempt to regrow it. And so far it has been working! More than 30 years of conservation efforts have increased the wild population from fewer than 200 to today’s estimated population of 3,700. In order for the wild population to continue to be viable and self-sustaining, the numbers must increase to 2,000 by the year 2025. However, long term projections for this are not so optimistic. Deforestation continues to run rampant which limits the land usable by these tamarins and due to inbreeding within the current population, chances for a large, healthy population to bounce back are very slim. Consequently, conservation efforts to protect the rainforests of South America are critical to the survival of this species in the wild.