Saving the world’s smallest monkeys from extinctionAt the beginning of a new year, we have been looking back at our achievements since we first started Tamarin Trust. The charity has only been going for a relatively short period of time, but together we have made great progress, helping to strengthen the chances of survival of some of the most threatened tamarins and marmosets in South America.
Please watch our very short video summing up what we have achieved together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rizSOssFSJ0
Since our launch, we have organised or co-organised conservation husbandry workshops across Brazil, reaching over 140 participants from more than 70 institutions. Within Brazil the captive conservation populations of pied tamarins, black lion tamarins and mountain marmosets have increased significantly.
Workshops were held in Manaus and Belém in the Amazon focused on critically endangered tamarins and marmosets. In Brasília, a national workshop was held at Ministry buildings in partnership with IBAMA, bringing together rescue centres from across Brazil working together on rehabilitation and reintroduction.
And in the south of the country in Rio Grande do Sul, we worked with ZooMelhor, uniting rescue centres and zoos to talk about all aspects of conservation husbandry.
Together, these workshops have created a strong, connected community of skilled professionals working for primate conservation across Brazil.
Beyond Brazil, Tamarin Trust has also provided specialist consultancy in Colombia, supporting conservation planning for threatened white-footed tamarins.
We currently have three priority projects:
- For mountain marmosets (buffy tufted-ear and buffy-headed marmosets) we’ve funded fieldwork, equipment, staff support, and a dedicated field vehicle. We have also helped the critically important ex-situ population grow.
- For golden-headed lion tamarins, we’ve supported strategic planning, field research, and the development of rescue and rehabilitation units.
- And for pied tamarins, we’ve supported habitat restoration, aerial crossings over roads, conservation planning, and the design of rescue facilities.
In just 18 months, a great deal has been achieved — but much more is needed.
With your continued support, we can keep building teams, strengthening rescue capacities, and protecting these remarkable primates and the forests they inhabit for the future for all of us.