Golden Lion Tamarin Day Enrichment

Описание: Tuesday was International Golden Lion Tamarin (GLT) Day, and we celebrated with fun and yummy enrichment for our two GLTs, Rio and Amaro. The boys enjoyed smashed banana and mealworms in bran, displayed by their keepers in ways that allow the small monkeys to stretch, climb and forage as their wild counterparts do. Thanks to modern zoos and local conservationists, there's a lot to celebrate.

GLTs are tiny endangered monkeys found only in one forest in the world: the Atlantic Coastal Forest of southeast Brazil. In the 1970s, these 1-pound primates were on the brink of extinction because of the illegal pet trade, habitat destruction and other factors. Today, 2,500 GLTs are estimated to be living in the wild, thanks to Species Survival Plans at modern zoos who banded together with The Golden Lion Tamarin Association, a frontline conservation organization in Brazil, and U.S. nonprofit, Save The Golden Lion Tamarin. This led to the development of a comprehensive conservation program that includes habitat protection and restoration, translocation of wild animals to safe forest habitats, a successful cooperative breeding program in zoos, reintroduction of zoo-born GLTs, and an education outreach program.