Treasures of the Atlantic Coastal Forest

Imagine an animal with me. It has claws and a long tail. It has a mane of hair around its face. Its vocalizations can be heard across long distances. It is territorial and social, living in family groups. It’s about the size of a squirrel. It is the golden lion tamarin (GLT). 

Named for their mane of lion-like fur, the golden lion tamarin is a small primate native to lowland Atlantic Forest in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro State. This region is considered a biodiversity hotspot and is home to hundreds of species found nowhere else on Earth. It’s also under immense pressure. After centuries of forest loss, only a small fraction (less than 10%) of the original forest remains in isolated patches. 

This is a huge challenge for the small tamarin, which relies on the forest for its survival. Living in the middle canopy, they are protected from both terrestrial and aerial predators. But traveling between isolated forest patches to find food or mates is risky business. While their reddish-gold fur provides good camouflage among the shadows of the forest canopy, it does not do them many favors in open areas of pasture or farmland. 

In the early 1970s, scientists believed that fewer than 200 GLTs remained in the wild, putting the species dangerously close to extinction. Conservationists from around the world gathered to create a plan for how to prevent this from happening. Thankfully, this collaboration has paid off in many ways, the most important of which is that GLTs have not gone extinct! Though their habitat is still fragmented, conservation efforts are working on long-term solutions to connect those forest fragments. 

The effort to preserve, protect, and study the golden lion tamarin and its habitat is led by the Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado (AMLD), or Golden Lion Tamarin Association (GLTA). Zoo Atlanta is proud to be a long-term partner of AMLD for nearly 30 years. With your support, we are assisting their efforts to manage GLT populations, support local communities, raise awareness about endangered species, vaccinate tamarins against infectious disease (particularly yellow fever), and protect, connect, and restore GLT habitat. 

We have other special connections to AMLD and golden lion tamarins, too. In the 1990s, two family groups of tamarins from Zoo Atlanta were released into the wild in Brazil. This was part of a larger project that saw 146 zoo-born GLTs released over 16 years. This boost to both the size and genetic diversity of the wild population has been instrumental to its growth in recent decades. Today, there are an estimated 4,800 GLTs in the wild, and an estimated one-third to one-half of those are descended from introduced individuals. 

Last year, a couple of my teammates traveled beyond the Zoo, all the way to Brazil, to see AMLD’s work in action. Stay tuned for the next Conservation Blog, where they’ll share their experience getting their hands dirty in the name of conservation. And the next time you’re at the Zoo, stop by the GLT habitat for a very cute reminder of how your visit helps wild populations. 

Sarah Hamilton
Interpretive Engagement Specialist