Free ranging Tamarins

mstickmanp

mstickmanp

Well-Known Member
What zoos have done the free-ranging golden lion tamarins? I know the National Zoo does it and Los Angeles Zoo used to do it, but what others. I ask because I saw a pic from Zoo Atlanta where one of the tamarins had a tracking collar which means they are free-ranging.

on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Also, what is the purpose for the program? I heard it was for releasing back to the wild, but I'm not sure.
 
National, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Brookfield, Oregon, Los Angeles, Milwaukee are the original free ranging GLT zoos. I only know of National that still does it.

The free-ranging GLT program was started back in the 1980s at the National Zoo, I believe, to "train" the GLTs for eventual reintroduction to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. However the National Zoo's website states:
In August 2001, we completed the final version of our analysis showing that free-ranging experience for GLTs in zoos in North America and Europe confers no significant advantage in survival over being reintroduced directly from zoo cages, even without any training whatsoever.
Click to expand...

I really havent heard much about this program in a long time. From what I could find the last reintroduction was in 2000...I think its from the lack of additional land to expand the wild reintroduced program. The GLT is probably one of the most successful reintroduction program that zoos have done.

The National Zoo has a great webpage about this program, though it doesnt seem to have been updated that much (like most zoo websites):

Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program - National Zoo| FONZ

The website states that the eventual goal is 2000 GLTs by 2025 in order for the GLTs to make an eventual recovery and maintain a self-sustaining wild population. I know that the current wild population is about 12000.
 
cool, thanks for the information. I heard Los Angeles wants to do it again when the new elephant exhibit is complete.
 
The National Zoo did'nt do it this year because of Elephants Trails constrution
 
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