Back From The Brink, Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey

“Originally, the species was found all along the Rio de Janeiro state coast and reached up to Espírito Santo state. Due to the intense occupation of the state's coastal area, as well as to logging, agriculture and cattle ranching activities, followed by the consequent forest destruction, the tamarins are now confined in some 20 forest remnants.”  Only 2-3% of their former forest habitat still exists. They were thought to be extinct until 200 individuals were discovered.  In the 1970s, the Poco das Antas Biological Reserve and the União Federal Biological Reserve were established to provide a protected area for tamarins, and an international cooperative breeding program worked to increase the captive population of tamarins. Today, wild populations include almost 1,000 individuals. “By 2025, the goal is to increase preserved forest to 62,000 acres and provide corridors to reconnect fragmented habitat to support a sustainable population of 2,000 golden lion tamarins.”