Page 73 - World of Animals - Issue #30

Cotton-top tamarin
072-073_Endangered_WOA30.indd
The decreasing habitat
The cotton-top tamarin is a New World monkey, heavily restricted to the tropical,
secondary forests of northwestern Colombia
Territory in 1960s
Historically, the cotton-top
tamarin was distributed
throughout the tropical forests of
northwestern Colombia.
Territory in 2007
A survey of the cotton-top
tamarin’s distribution in 2007
Colombia
showed only small fragments of
forest were still habitable.
Why save the Territory in 1960s
cotton-top Territory in 2007
tamarin?
Living in the dense canopy,
surrounded by predators, it can Protecting the
be difficult to see where danger punk primate
is lurking. For this reason, cotton-
top tamarins can’t rely too Miranda Stevenson is the EAZA (European Association of Zoos
heavily on visual communication, and Aquaria) coordinator and studbook keeper for the cotton-top
but instead use fascinating tamarin, which involves keeping track of all the births, deaths
chemical and auditory cues to and transfers of the species in Europe
convey information about their The EAZA programme for cotton-top tamarins includes the Cotton-top Club,
surroundings. through which zoos support Proyecto Titi in Colombia. These wonderful ‘punk’
primates are only found in the forests of northern Colombia and the zoo
Cotton-top tamarins are unusual
in the way they give birth, more animals are their ambassadors. It is a privilege to run the European captive
often having twins than single breeding programme. There is a good captive population which is kept as
monkeys. This is a risky life strategy ‘insurance’ should the wild population require back-up in the future.
as looking after and feeding two Cotton-tops, like all callitrichid primates, live in family groups and all
youngsters requires more energy members help to care for the young, carrying them on their backs and
expenditure. Luckily, the whole teaching them what is good to eat as they grow up. We have learned a
troop is willing to participate and considerable amount about the family life of these animals from the fieldwork
help raise the young. carried out by Proyecto Titi, where animals can be individually identified and
tracked, as some are radio collared.
Instead of possessing nails The project includes forest protection and regeneration, as well as support
like most other primates, the for local communities by helping them build eco-friendly businesses, including
cotton-top tamarin has a set of making eco-mochila bags from recycled plastic bags. Proyecto Titi also
small, sharp claws called tegulae. runs education activities for the children, some of whom later become part
These have more of a likeness of the workforce for the project. One of the latest initiatives of the project
to the claws of a squirrel than is ‘Titi Posts’. These are plastic posts, made from recycled plastic bottles,
a monkey, but are much more which are used to fence in areas of replanted forest. These new corridors will
useful for clinging to and running connect forest fragments, helping to ensure a future for the species and other
through the tree canopy. Colombian animals. © Alamy
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