Golden Lion Tamarin Reintroduction Program Essay -- Rio de Janeiro, Br

Golden Lion Tamarin Reintroduction Program Biodiversity may be our most precious gift on this planet. It is amazing to think about how much we know about our fellow creatures, and even more amazing to realize there is still so much to learn. From the smallest pollen to the biggest whale, every species has evolved to be a special part of its ecosystem. It is when we lose sight of the intrinsic value of all this life that we find ourselves destroying the delicate web and irreparably damaging ourselves as well. We cut down entire jungles into grazing land, irrigate vast deserts into golf courses, seal up marshes for business offices, dump toxic waste in the oceans. Since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, many animal and plant populations have been brought back from the brink of extinction. But many more have been lost and there are still nearly a thousand names on the list, and that is even an understatement of the true danger we’re in. There are several continuing efforts focused on saving creatures and their habitats from destruction. Among the more promising is the Golden Lion Tamarin Reintroduction Program. Leontopithecus rosalia, common name golden lion tamarin (GLT), are small monkeys native to the coastal rain forests of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But their forests are disappearing fast (98% gone since 1850, according to the World Conservation Monitoring Center) to make way for "development" and the tamarins are disappearing with them. There are three other species of tamarin native only to Brazil: the black tamarin, the black-faced tamarin, and the golden-headed tamarin. All have playful temperaments and thus have also fallen victim to illegal trade in exotic pets since the banning of legal exportation in... ...l 1997, v49 n2. Pp. 26-31. French, JA, Inglett, BJ and Dethlefs, TM. The reproductive status of nonbreeding group members in captive golden lion tamarin social groups. "American Journal of Primatology." 1989, v18 n2. Pp. 73-86. Kierulff, MCM and DeOliveira, PP. Re-assessing the status and conservation of the golden lion tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia in the wild. "Dodo- Journal of the Wildlife Preservation Trusts." 1996, v 32. Pp. 98-115. Ruiz, JC. Comparison of affiliative behavior between old and recently established pairs of golden lion tamarins. "Primates." April 1990, v31 n2. Pp. 197-204. Http://estel.uindy.edu/outReach/guestSchools/indyzoo/vz/quotes.html Http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~cait/ Http://www.endangeredspecie.com/ Http://www.selu.com/~bio/cauz/links/endangered.html Http://www.wcmc.org.uk/data/database/rl_anml_combo.html