Golden lion tamarin  (Leontopithecus rosalia)

A staggering ninety percent of the original area of Atlantic coastal forest has been destroyed through logging and clearance for cultivation and development (9). The habitat of the golden lion tamarin has therefore been drastically reduced and fragmented into isolated patches. A former threat to the species in the wild came from the collection of live individuals for private collections and zoos (6), but this practice became illegal in the 1970s, and subsequently decreased (5). Occasionally, specimens will still turn up in a local market (5), but the pet trade now has relatively little impact on numbers (2). Further more, captive breeding in zoos and subsequent re-introductions have literally helped save this species from extinction, so its former collection for zoos has also had a very positive impact (2).

Fortunately, the golden lion tamarin has been the subject of a large-scale, determined conservation effort. A captive breeding programme aims to maintain a zoo population of 500 individuals, and since 1984, captive-bred individuals have been re-introduced to the wild (6) (10). Furthermore, released individuals have successfully reared young in the wild (6). A huge conservation education programme in Brazil has raised the profile of the golden lion tamarin, and the species is now widely regarded with pride as a national symbol of conservation (10). In 1980, the wild population had reached an all time low of less than 100 individuals (11), but by 2000 this had increased to 1000, 424 of which were re-introduced from captive stock (12). Despite these efforts, the species still requires protection and continued conservation efforts if it is to evade extinction. (5).