PARÁ, BRAZIL — Two collared tamarins may help conserve their own species, which is threatened with extinction.
The intention of biologists and veterinarians is for the animals to form a pair following a gradual introduction at BioParque Vale Amazônia, in Parauapebas, in southeastern Pará, where the two primates, a male and a female, live.
Amendoim has been at the facility since 2022, when he was rescued and transferred from Manaus by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). After recovering, he had been waiting for months for a female to arrive to increase the species' conservation prospects.
The long-awaited companion arrived at the BioParque this month. Paçoca, as the adult female collared tamarin was named, arrived accompanied by adopted offspring. As a result, in addition to a companion, Amendoim may gain an entire family.
Paçoca, a juvenile male and an infant were at the Ibama Wildlife Screening Center (Cetas) in Amazonas and were flown to Pará in early September.
According to the BioParque, the two younger primates were abandoned and were eventually adopted by Paçoca.
As of this Sunday (20), the three remained in quarantine before undergoing the adaptation process to form a family group.
The expectation is that Amendoim and Paçoca may be together in approximately four months, but the timeframe may vary depending on their adaptation and acceptance of each other.
This process requires care from the team involved, according to Nereston de Camargo, a veterinarian at BioParque Vale Amazônia.
“The introduction to Amendoim will be carried out gradually, respecting the animals' pace. The expectation is that they will accept each other and may form a little pair and a new family, but the entire process depends on the behavior of each one,” he said.
Amendoim is a male collared tamarin (Saguinus bicolor), a small primate measuring just over 30 centimeters in length and weighing about half a kilogram.
Paçoca's arrival is part of the Ex Situ Conservation and Management Program for Threatened Species, an initiative of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums of Brazil (AZAB).
The collared tamarin is native to the Manaus region, meaning it is not naturally found anywhere else in the world. The animal is currently listed as a threatened species.
Both the Amazonas Cetas/Ibama and BioParque Vale Amazônia are part of the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Collared Tamarin (PAN Collared Tamarin).
The network connects environmental agencies, zoos and research centers to contribute to the species' survival and the preservation of its genetic diversity.
Amazon Agency