Personal Information
There are three golden lion tamarins at the Zoo: Maya, Ouro and Tollo. All belong to the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e Dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis, their equivalent of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ouro and Tollo are the males. Ouro comes to us from BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, while Tollo is from the Philadelphia Zoo. Maya and Ouro are our breeding pair. These animals typically have twins and after a few days the males are the ones that carry the infants.
Click here to read about the recent golden lion tamarin birth at the Zoo!
Status in the Wild
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status: Endangered. There are more than 1,000 golden lion tamarins left in the Brazilian rainforest thanks to vigorous conservation efforts. In 1970, it was estimated that there were only 200 left in the wild. The golden lion tamarin is part of the Zoo's Species Survival Plan program.
Habitat
Lowland and swamp tropical forests in the eastern rainforests of Brazil. More than 90% of the golden lion tamarin’s habitat has been destroyed by deforestation.
Diet
This animal’s diet consists of fruit, nectar, insects, small snakes and lizards.