The Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program is a multi-disciplinary, international effort focused on conserving golden lion tamarins (GLT) and their habitat. The project is administered by the Department of Conservation Biology at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in cooperation with several Brazilian institutions. There are five major components of the project. These are:

Captive Breeding

The International Management Committee manages the captive population of GLTs. This group has authority over the placement, housing, and breeding of about 500 GLTs at over 140 zoos worldwide. A studbook keeper working at the Smithsonian National Zoo monitors the genetic make-up of the zoo population and recommends pairing to maintain genetic variation and avoid inbreeding.

Habitat

In 1974, the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve was established. It consists of 12,000 acres, 6,000 of which are rainforest. That, in addition to the Fazenda Uniao (Uniao farm) (3,200 hectares) in Brazil, and some additional protected private lands now total about 41,000 acres (16,600 hectares) of protected reserves. The three major objectives of habitat restoration and protection are: to eliminate hunting, to reduce deforestation and fires within the reserve, and to speed the regeneration of forests.

Conservation Education

The GLT has become a symbol for conservation in Brazil. Through the continued use of media campaigns, special merchandise, and by training Brazilian field biologists, the people of Brazil have been taking part in efforts to save the golden lion tamarin from extinction. The main objectives of the education program are: to make the local residents aware of the critically endangered status of the GLT and the rapid disappearance of their forest habitat, to motivate the residents to support and initiate local wildlife conservation efforts, and to preserve key areas of privately owned forest as wildlife refuges. This was one of the first conservation projects to include education as a major initiative.

Scientific Research

More information about GLTs is essential in maintaining a wild population. On-going research on wild and captive tamarins include world-wide studies on social behavior, ecology, genetics, metabolism, nutrition, anti-predator behavior, reproduction, and techniques for reintroducing animals to the wild.

Reintroduction

Only with a large captive population, suitable protected habitat for release, strong support for conservation of GLTs in Brazil, and basic biological knowledge does reintroduction become a viable option. With these elements in place, 20 years ago, the GLT Project reintroduced the first group of captive born GLTs. As of December 2003, 153 GLTs have been reintroduced. Approximately 12 still survive, but over 500 offspring, born to reintroduced parents, make up a total reintroduction population of about 556. The reintroduced population makes up over a third of the entire GLT population, 1300. Due to this remarkable success, there are no planned reintroductions in the near future. There are currently seven pipeline zoos (including the Smithsonian National Zoo) that participate in the free-ranging program.

Follow-Up in Brazil

Animals reintroduced in Brazil are fed until they are able to fend for themselves. This can sometimes be a year or two with younger animals, or extend longer for older animals (possibly forever). They are all radio collared and monitored on a continual basis. The tamarins are given nest boxes for protection and security, veterinary care if they are injured or ill, and are returned to their box if they get lost.

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