Jul

Today in Smithsonian History: July 25, 1984

A golden lion tamarin and her infant at the National Zoo in 2007. (Photo by Mehgan Murphy)

July 25, 1984 Eight United States-born golden lion tamarins are released into the wilds of Brazil’s Poco das Antas Biological Preserve by the National Zoological Park. Fifteen animals had been sent to Brazil in November 1983 as part of a reintroduction program, and nine of them had been introduced to a half-way cage located in the wilds on May 2, 1984.

A striking species, golden lion tamarins are small social South America primates with a magnificent reddish-gold coat and a long, backswept mane. Once down to 200 individuals in the wild, intensive conservation efforts have helped the population recover. Still an endangered species, today there are about 3,200 in the wild—about a third of which are descendants of golden lion tamarins raised in human care.

Most recently, two golden lion tamarins were born born June 29 to first-time parents Mo and Izzy. Although one infant died in an apparent fall, the surviving infant is thriving and spends most of its time clinging to his father Mo’s back.