Conservation

These endangered tamarins are native to the Atlantic Coastal Rainforest of Southeast Brazil. They are restricted to only 14 forest fragments due to extensive deforestation. Lianas and bromeliads are important plants for golden lion tamarins and important indicators of where they spend the majority of their time. These are vitally important for foraging with the tamarins using their long fingers to reach into their micro-habitats to reach insects and other food items.

In the 1970s there were as few as 200 golden lion tamarins in the wild. This called for a necessary conservation collaboration, with zoos coordinating a joint breeding programme to boost wild populations. This resulted in the reintroduction of 146 zoo-born golden lion tamarins back into their native habitat between 1984 - 2000.

Today, over 70% of the wild golden lion tamarin population descends from those reintroduced individuals.

In 2003 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ‘uplisted’ the species from Critically Endangered to Endangered, and the wild population is now estimated to be roughly 2,600 individuals.

Despite these successes, this species still faces threats in the wild – habitat destruction and fragmentation, poaching, and more recently, yellow fever outbreak. Thankfully, organisations such as Save the Golden Lion Tamarin and Associação Mico Leão Dourado are working with global conservation partners to build forest corridors, plant trees and monitor the golden lion tamarin populations.

Double trouble

Tamarins are often born in pairs, and in 2020 Auckland Zoo was twinning with the birth of golden lion tamarin twins. As their mother was unable to produce milk for them, our primate and veterinary teams made an informed decision to hand rear the twins with support from the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). The decision to hand rear is never taken lightly as there are always risks involved. Our primate team used their experience and expertise, coupled with the latest science, international contacts, and knowledge that the twins would have each other to bond with, to make this decision and without it these critically endangered twins would have simply not survived.

After a short hand rearing period, the twins were successfully re-integrated with their parents. We’re now one of the few places in the world that can proudly say we’ve successfully hand reared golden lion tamarins and will be adding to global knowledge about the species.

You can visit our golden lion tamarin troop in the South America Rainforest Track.

At the Zoo

Golden lion tamarins live in the closed forest canopy 10 to 30 metres off the ground. They use the spaces in the canopy to groom each other, bask in the sun, and rest in quieter areas.

Their habitat at the Zoo has all the trees, vines, and flowers to encourage foraging and their natural behaviours. For enrichment, bugs are hidden under bark, in tree crevices, or under logs, and the tamarins use their long fingers and claw-like nails to retrieve the food.

At the Zoo, our primate team engage the golden lion tamarins with positive reinforcement training to encourage the troop to voluntarily step into a custom-built crate. Being able to have each tamarin reliably and safely enter a specialised and moveable crate makes any future vet hospital visits stress free. The reinforcement items they receive for coming into the crate include favoured food such as mealworms and locusts and the tamarins have the choice as to whether they would like to engage with the training session.

In the Wild

Origin: Brazil

Habitat: Atlantic coastal regions of South-Eastern Brazil.

Conservation status: IUCN –  Endangered

How we’re helping

The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund supports a variety of conservation projects in the wild, both locally and overseas, including our support for the brown spider monkey (Critically Endangered and included in the list of the 25 most threatened primate on the planet).

Our conservation partners, the Spider Monkey Conservation Project, are working hard to save the remaining animals in fragmented forest on the Venezuelan/Columbian border through essential research into their numbers and population trends and by employing locals to protect and re-plant the forest.

How you can help

Recovering forest habitats are crucial to sustaining golden lion tamarin populations in Brazil. When you’re out shopping, look for ‘PEFC’ (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) or ‘FSC’ (Forest Stewardship Council) logos on paper, wood, and cardboard products. These wood certification schemes are considered ‘rainforest friendly’ and promote sustainably managed forests in timber supply chains.