Golden lion tamarins are found only in Brazilian forests. These small, remarkable monkeys once had plenty of space to roam and claim family territories. But years of deforestation caused their numbers to shrink. They were in serious danger of becoming extinct. To help, scientists studied the animals in zoo settings. But they faced several mysteries. Why weren't golden lion tamarins reproducing in zoos? If scientists reintroduced zoo-raised tamarins to the wild, would those monkeys survive? And how could scientists give tamarins enough forest area for the population to grow? Find out how scientists and concerned citizens worked together to give golden lion tamarins a hopeful future.
"Golden lion tamarins are small monkeys native to Brazil's Atlantic Forest. After centuries of logging and the encroachment of agriculture, roads, and towns, the tamarins' habitat has shrunk to a few disconnected patches of suitable forested land. The book opens with a young female who is isolated because the existing family groups in her patch of forest will not accept a second breeding female an
Booklist
"Markle chronicles the amazing efforts to save a tiny (and adorable) species. In 1960 there were only an estimated 200 golden lion tamarins in the wild. Their habitat along the coast of Brazil was being destroyed by logging. In 1975 there were about 122 in captivity, but they weren't breeding; when they did, the young died. After laying out this grim reality, the economical text goes on to describ
Kirkus Reviews
"Markle brings to life the complex, decades-long work that scientists and volunteers around the world have done to save the golden lion tamarin from extinction. As the number of monkeys dwindled due to the destruction of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, zoos implemented breeding programs. However, they were unsuccessful until researchers realized how tamarins interact in family groups. Once the numbers i
