Thursday 26 March 2026 saw the inauguration of the first conservation rehabilitation centre for the endangered golden headed lion tamarins of Bahia, funded by Tamarin Trust. The centre is based at the State University of Santa Cruz in Ilheus.

Golden-headed lion tamarins are facing severe threats as agricultural practices change in their coastal Atlantic forest habitat in the north-east. Methods of growing crops such as shade-grown cocoa used to leave many of the resources the tamarins need intact. However, these agroforestry plots are now being converted to cattle pasture and monoculture coffee.

Over the past 30 years, there has been a 42% reduction in the area occupied by golden-headed lion tamarins, and an even more drastic decline – 60% – in the population. Furthermore, increasing fragmentation of the forest forces stranded tamarins forced to make dangerous journeys to find food and shelter. Many are killed on the roads, or electrocuted as they use power lines to cross roads. This video footage, filmed last year, shows the dangers the tamarins face

The new centre will rescue, rehabilitate and translocate tamarins to safe areas, and will also act as a triage post for translocations and reintroductions in the future. Danilo Simonini and Leo Oliveira are coordinating work to save the most threatened tamarin groups. This facility is a huge positive step for the conservation of the monkeys. With more support, more enclosures can be built so that efforts can be stepped up to rescue tamarins in imminent danger.

Many thanks to Michele and Paul Masterton, who made a significant donation to this project.

Without you, we would not have been able to achieve so much for these species on the front line, where it really matters, in the short time we have been in existence.

If you haven’t already done so, please consider becoming a Friend of Tamarin Trust and help us to do more to save golden-headed lion tamarins and other threatened tamarins and marmosets. A small monthly donation will go a very long way.

Find out more here: https://tamarintrust.org/become-a-friend-of-tamarin-trust/