Saving the world’s smallest monkeys from extinction

White-handed tamarin

The white-handed tamarin, also known as the silvery-brown tamarin or white-footed tamarin, lives only in the central Magdalena valley of Colombia.

This beautiful monkey’s habitat has been severely damaged. The tamarins are also often victims of the illegal pet trade. In the past, many confiscated pets ended up in rescue centres that did not know how to care for them, and the monkeys rarely survived or reproduced.

With the support of European zoos, rescue centres and zoos in Colombia have built up a small but healthy population of white-handed tamarins, managed by a studbook. Regular workshops at different locations in the country have helped a group of dedicated conservationists to work together for the conservation of this species.

We support field work to establish the current population of white-handed tamarins in Colombia, and continuing technical advice to the rescue centres and zoos working with them.