Ori, a 3-year-old male golden lion tamarin, has been introduced into its new home in the small-animal building at Hogle Zoo.
The small monkey joins Frisky, a 6-year-old golden lion tamarin, as part of a species survival plan that oversees the breeding of the endangered animal. Offspring from the two will eventually be reintroduced in the protected Poco das Antas Biological Preserve in Brazil, said zoo Director LaMar Farnsworth.Bagel, a 5-year-old male golden lion tamarin from Hogle Zoo, was introduced into the preserve last year. About 120 of the estimated 290 tamarins in the preserve were bred in captivity.
Golden lion tamarins are indigenous to the southeast coast of Brazil, but their numbers have dwindled to approximately 300 because of deforestation. About 550 of the animals are in zoos throughout the country. The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., coordinates a breeding program among participating zoos and monitors genetic diversity of tamarins in captivity.