BRAZILIAN MONKEY BUSINESS
by Wally Van Sickle

In the Southernmost extent of Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, a deafening chorus of cicadas bombards the senses from every direction. Above and below, the jungle is alive with millions of insects. Many are heard more often then seen. They come in all shapes and sizes. It is late afternoon and the hot, humid weather increases their activity.

A group of black-faced lion tamarins Leontopithecus caissara scurries along branches mid-level in the canopy. Golden fur, black faces, and black hands and feet make them distinct in their coloration. Their tiny size, not much bigger than a Chihuahua, allows them access to even the farthest reaches of the canopy. However, the security of the mid-level branches is preferred. The hunting party is on the lookout for katydids, walking sticks, praying mantis, and roaches. Insects serve as a high-energy food that is easy to digest. They also eat fruit, nectar, and plant exudates.

Bromeliads and leaf litter piles in vines and palm-tree crowns are some of their favorite foraging sites. Tiny hands probe through the debris anticipating a juicy insect. Once captured the insect is quickly bitten into tiny pieces and devoured.

Towards nightfall the group begins looking for a sleeping hole. Because of their small body size they spend the night huddled together to conserve body heat and for extra protection against predators. Sleeping holes are usually areas hollowed out by woodpckers in mature trees. As the last tail disappears into the sleeping hole, and the sun dips below the horizon, the nocturnal animals awaken and the night shift begins.

FABIANA PRADO

The total number of black-faced lion tamarins in the wild is estimated to be less than 400. There are none in captivity.

Tracking one of the rarest and most endangered primate species in the world requires an expert. Fabiana Prado is an expert. She has focused her attention on the conservation of this species since 1996 and is the Jane Goodall of the black-faced lion tamarin. Fabiana is very motherly and sweet and often cares for the fate of the tamarins like they were her own children.

A few years back Fabiana invited two IDEA WILD volunteers and I to track a group of tamarins. We trekked into the lowland coastal forest on the island of Superagui. Most of the trees were less then 40 feet tall due to storms coming in from the Atlantic. The under story was dense and tangled and a machete was required when not on the path. In many areas, we walked knee deep in water and terrestrial bromeliads covered the surface. As we sloshed along my friend, Stephen Henry, originally from Texas, turned and exclaimed, “This ain’t no desert!” Mosquitoes completely engulfed his head.

Fabiana and her assistant, Enrique, used a telemetry receiver to locate the group of tamarins. Enrique often climbed a tree in an attempt to get a signal. After several hours he finally got a signal and we located the group of 5 animals. One male was wearing a radio collar and was carrying a baby on it’s back. They all moved very quickly through the treetops and although we were close they were extremely difficult to observe and keep up with. Fabiana and Enrique recorded the data they needed for that day and eventually we made our way back to camp.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

More than ten primate species have been discovered in Brazil since 1990. The black-faced lion tamarin was one of them. Obviously, nothing was known about their behavior, diet, home range size, or how many there were. Without this basic information there was no way to create an effective conservation plan for this species.

Fabiana and others from the Brazilian conservation group IPE changed all that when they began their research work in 1996. In 2000, IDEA WILD provided her team with radio collars and in 2002 with implantable transponders. With all the data they have collected we now understand a great deal about the basic ecology of the species, a management plan has been created, and the local community is provided with an environmental education program. IPE even built an environmental learning center where all the children living near the tamarins can learn more about them and the numerous other life forms found in the forest.

Fabiana wanted to extend a special thank you to Jerry Ravenscroft, an IDEA WILD donor, who sponsored her project and made possible the purchase of the radio collars. Fabiana continues her work today and is no doubt one of the “Heroes of the Planet.”

Project Cost: $1788 and $1435

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