Progress and problems in Lion tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia rosalia reproduction

In 1972 a conference of biologists from diverse disciplines was held at Washington under the auspices of the Wild Animal Propagation Trust (WAPT), the National Zoological Park, and the New York Zoological Society. Its purpose was to review and summarise information pertinent to marmoset and tamarin biology. It was hoped also that the cross-fertilisation of ideas and knowledge would especially benefit the husbandry of the rare and endangered Lion tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia, and indeed the proceedings of the conference were published under the title Saving the lion marmoset (Bridgwater, 1972). Of the three subspecies of Lion tamarin (sometimes considered separate species), only the Golden lion tamarin L. r. rosalia is known to exist in captivity outside Brazil. Representatives of the other forms, the Golden-headed lion tamarin L. r. chrysomelas and the Golden-rumped lion tamarin L. r. chrysopygus, as well as of the nominate race, are held at the Tijuca Biological Bank, outside Rio de Janeiro. Situated in the Tijuca National Park, which was once part of the habitat of L. r. rosalia, the Bank is a research centre and refuge where the three subspecies can be studied and bred, pending the establishment of secure reserves within their natural ranges to which it is hoped they will ultimately be reintroduced (Magnanini et ah, 1975). But despite the efforts of Brazilian scientists and conservationists to promote public and government interest in this rare and beautiful primate, the plight of the Lion tamarins in Brazil still remains grave and their survival uncertain (CoimbraFilho & Mittermeier, 1973; Coimbra-Filho et ah, 1975; Magnanini et al., 1975). At the time of the 1972 conference, the captive outlook for the species was equally poor. With