The monkey who thinks he's a lion - Tamarin - Animal documentary - AMP

Not far from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo lie the last miraculously surviving strips of the Mata Atlântica forest. They are home to small primates, the golden lion tamarins. These primates narrowly escaped extinction. In 1970, there were less than 200 of them. Today, there are 1,700. But now, intruders have invaded their territory. The outsiders have occupied their confined living space and are taking their food. They bully the tamarins. The invader population is growing all the time, so much so that it may prejudice the revival of the golden lion tamarin. The Mata Atlântica, or Atlantic forest, is located near one of the most densely populated urban zones in the world. The fragile habitat is the only place ever populated by wild golden lion tamarins. It is narrow and segmented. This lung-shaped green island is home to three families of tamarins. The Acetiva family has six members, a father, a mother, and four children. The dominant father protects his group. Tamarins are monogamous. Males and females mate for life. Tamarins are active for 12 hours a day. When they aren't hunting insects, they spend their time sucking eggs found in nests or stuffing themselves with ripe fruit. Families remain closely grouped. They expand once a year when the dominant female gives birth, generally, to twins. The father raises the alarm. He assesses the situation. Danger can come from the sky in the shape of an eagle or from the ground in the form of other kinds of predators. The youngest tamarins remain motionless on their branch, watching intently. It's wintertime in the tropical forest and food is in short supply. But now, there's a feast within their grasp. The lingering scent of the trappers on the meadow deters a first adventure. A more daring tamarin creeps in and approaches the prize. Nothing happens. Reassured to see him unharmed, one of his brothers joins the party. Their elder sister, Vitoria, doesn't yet realize that the same causes produce the same effects. Hunger is stronger than fear. Group cohesion draws the other family members to the prisoners, and they are captured, too, one after the other. The tamarins' ingenuousness makes them easy prey. Once it was common for poachers to kill the mothers, capture their young and sell them by the roadside as pets. Animal trafficking was rife all over the country, driving tamarins to the brink of extinction. Today, wildlife trafficking is still the most lucrative trade after drugs and guns, even though 90% of captive animals die in transit. Fortunately, the Afativa family's captors are not poachers, but biologists working to protect the species. The golden lion tamarins are anesthetized. Normally a uniform, tawny color, they're individually marked with dark stains by the biologists. Some of the primates are also fitted with a radio transmitter. Since 1984, Andrea Martins has been running the MycoLeon Dorado Society, which works to preserve the tamarin. Andrea carries out routine tasks that she's performed hundreds of times before, measuring, weighing, analyzing, and identifying males and females. She notes that one member of the group, the adolescent Vitoria, will soon become an adult, a crucial step for tamarins. Another group watches the Afativa family's return. Andrea and her colleagues recognize each animal. Marks on the rump and tail identify individuals. Those on the body, the family. Andrea carefully releases the Afativa family at a safe distance from the other groups. It was in this very area that the first tamarins brought in to revive their species were released in the 1980s. The operation, a partnership between Brazil and the USA, was supervised by the Washington National Zoo. Just a few kilometers from Congress, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House, the zoo is one of the oldest in America and has always played a crucial role in conserving endangered species. The tamarin countdown operation involved 140 zoos worldwide and Brazil's most eminent primatologists. Aldemar Coimbra Jr. and Devra Kleiman, from the Smithsonian Institution, started the rescue program. At the time, the 200 tamarins surviving in the wild had to mate with each other. This led to genetic defects liable to accelerate the extinction process. There was an urgent need to introduce zoo monkeys with a different gene pool to mate with the wild population. Jubalu had to choose 500 individuals from all over the world for introduction into the forest. His main task was to identify bloodlines that were as genetically varied as possible. The animals he chose were sent to Washington National Zoo. Candidate primates were trained to live in the wild. Staff put them through the challenges they would face in the Atlantic forest. They were accustomed to new kinds of food. They were forced to forage in the treetops. They were taught to seek shelter. After six months of training, it was finally time to release them. They were prepared for a long journey, more than 12 hours in the hold of the plane. James Dietz had the job of organizing their arrival in the forest. Thirty years ago, the researcher and his wife, Luan, played what proved to be a crucial role in supervising community action initiatives. They had to involve local populations in the effort to protect tamarins, and that was no easy task. Today, James and Luan Dietz are part of the tamarin legend, which started out with a combination of high hopes and huge difficulties. The tamarins were housed in the quarantine area of the Rio de Janeiro Primatology Center, while work was completed on the infrastructure of a reintroduction zone in the biological reserve of Pozo das Santas. May 31st, 1984, big day for Golden Lion Tamarins. Do you remember what you were doing on that day, you two? Oh, yeah. Tell us, yeah. What's your memory of it? Well, we were around the big vivero with a group inside, in Pozo das Santas, with one of the first release group, and the media was there, and everybody was there, and we were ready to catch the monkeys, you know, as soon as we opened the vivero, and they would fly out of it, and we opened the vivero, and they didn't. Nine tamarins were released on that day. But a few weeks later, eight of them were dead. How had the training they were given at Washington Zoo failed so tragically? Study of the tamarins showed that the project had underestimated the importance of learning. Young tamarins pick up the rules of the jungle from their parents. The adults teach them how to tell nourishing from toxic fruit and edible from poisonous insects. Observing their elders, young tamarins learn to be alert to all predators, from the smallest to the largest, whether they walk, fly, or crawl. The groups that followed were not sent to Washington, but arrived directly in Brazil. Shelters were set up in the trees where the tamarins could hide when predators approached. Research continued in greater depth. Andrea Martins was already involved, observing and caring for the tamarins. By 1992, a hundred primates had been reintroduced in Pozo das Antes. This time, the operation was a success, mainly because as soon as they arrived, the new animals were encouraged to mate with some of the surviving indigenous tamarins in the Atlantic forest. The native monkeys helped the newcomers to adapt. Today, there are 1,700 tamarins in the region, including the agitiva family. Sadly enough, this success led to another serious threat. Monogamous, living in closed family groups and isolated in their islands of forests, it was hard for the tamarins to interbreed. There was a grave danger of inbreeding. Action was again taken in Washington. Staff there coordinated golden lion tamarin genetic diversification operations. Zoos all over the world have always been keen to show golden lion tamarins to their visitors. Individuals have been captured in different periods, and the gene pool grew over time. Jennifer Mikkelberg leads the World Tamarin Genetic Diversification Project. She treats tamarin genetic degeneration in specific locations by introducing animals with different bloodlines. To choose the right individuals, the geneticist keeps up a database of all the wild and captive tamarins in the world. Something has disturbed the dominant male of the agitiva family. An intruder has turned up. It is a marmoset. Marmosets are gradually invading the already cramped forests of the golden lion tamarin. More cunning, agile and rapacious than tamarins, marmosets take their food, especially the gum rich in minerals and glucose that oozes from certain trees. Where did these intruders come from? How did they manage to invade one of the world's most precious forests? To understand, we have to go back to the days when monkeys were often captured to be sold as pets. Marmosets were easy to raise and kept children entertained until their families tired of them. When that happened, marmoset owners took the now unwanted monkeys into the nearest forest and left them there. They didn't care where the marmoset had been captured, generally in northeast Brazil. And since it was mainly city dwellers who bought the animals, marmosets rapidly colonized the forests around Rio and São Paulo at the expense of tamarins. Today, the tamarins have to coexist with these marmosets, which are smaller than them, but twice as aggressive. Germano Nunes and other scientists are trying to understand the invasion process. Germano is assessing the way marmosets infiltrate tamarin communities to find out where they get their food and take it. To study the secrets of the rivalry between marmosets and tamarins, the researcher leaves food in closed boxes on platforms. Examining the ways in which the different species use this self-service restaurant and choose their dish of the day will provide him with valuable information about dietary strategy. The tamarins generally get there first and locate the food platforms. Marmosets quickly join them. Germano Nunes uses a pocket recorder to note their every movement. Some boxes are empty, while the content of others varies according to a logical system. It's soon clear that the tamarins are very quick to work out where to find the food. The marmosets then take advantage of their rival's skills. Once the tamarins identify the boxes that are full, the marmosets simply copy them and empty the containers before the tamarins can eat. The tamarins soon lose at this game. Competition between the two species wouldn't matter so much if it weren't a threat to wild tamarin populations that were recently saved from extinction. Marmoset populations grow exponentially. The segmentation of groups in residual forests surrounded by empty spaces at best and urban environments at worst makes intruder overpopulation a major risk. The tamarins are hugely outnumbered. There are now four marmosets for each native primate. The biologist must act to neutralize the invaders. Two researchers, Marcio Moraes and Oberlan Cabral, want to identify the marmoset species. Plans are being made to capture them and return them to their native forests. But first, their areas of origin must be identified. The marmosets are wary and elusive, unlike the tamarins, who are used to human contact. Marcio and Oberlan are relying on the marmoset's curiosity. The intruders have to enter a trap of their own free will. It will take more than just hunger to convince them. In theory, the tamarins will enter first. When the intruders copy them, as usual, they'll be captured. As expected, a tamarin is first to reach the fruit. He acts as a lure. Marcio and Oberlan are ready to step in. The researchers release the tamarin. They're only interested in the marmoset today. Brazil is home to several species of marmosets. They include the common marmoset, the black-tufted marmoset from Cerrado, the weeds marmoset, the white-headed marmoset and the buffy-headed marmoset. Each species must be sent back to its native region. However, the researchers suspect there may be a problem and decide to carry out genetic testing. The DNA sequencing confirms their fears. The marmoset invasion hasn't been dealt with quickly enough. The animals have had time to interbreed. So, humanity has allowed a new kind of animal with no native homeland to populate Golden Lion Tamarin Territory. What's the answer? If the invaders were transferred to forests where purebred marmosets live, they'd compete with the original species and destroy them. So, is it any better to let them wipe out one of the most protected species in the world? The dilemma leaves the scientific community at a loss. The tamarin campaigners turn to the Rio de Janeiro Primatology Center for advice. If a solution exists, two experts there are liable to find it. Aldemar Coimbra and Alcides Picinatti are tamarin conservation pioneers. Aldemar Coimbra is visiting his colleague. He took the first tamarin census and then founded the Primatology Center. Together, the two scientists developed the vital theoretical and experimental foundations of the Tamarin Reintroduction Project. Today, Alcides Picinatti is talking to his colleague about the threat the marmoset invasion represents for the Golden Lion Tamarin. He has had specimens of new hybridized marmosets stuffed. The danger doesn't just lie in competition for food, there's worse. The marmosets are descended from urban monkeys who may have caught infectious human diseases. Protected by antibodies, they could pass on these diseases to the tamarins, who have no such immunity. Some of the sicknesses, including herpes and tuberculosis, could decimate the vulnerable tamarin population. Marmosets have also been found infested with urban parasites, which have spread to forests where they were previously unknown. So, what can be done about the awkward marmosets? Aldemar Coimbra and Alcides Picinatti think it would be best to move them to a forest in the northeast, one currently uninhabited by primates, so as to avoid interaction. But first, local ecosystems must be studied to manage any harmful effects of such an operation. Meanwhile, the tamarins are still in danger. Marmoset sterilization campaigns would be too complicated and expensive, and the public and media think the marmosets should just be destroyed. And the clock is ticking, further complicating the situation. The marmosets have steadily colonized the Afitiba family's very limited territory and are, well, making themselves at home. The stress of coexistence is weakening the tamarins, who are already debilitated by hunger. The marmosets seize the opportunity to put them under even more pressure. Another problem. Young Vitoria is now an adult, and the time has come for her to leave the family and set off to found her own group. Nature developed this mechanism to avoid inbreeding in normal circumstances. The rule is that females must leave. But this strip of forest is already home to three families, so how can Vitoria start her own? She's faced with a formidable challenge to find a young male. During her quest, she'll have to cope with hunger and the aggressive marmosets she'll meet on the way. She must move quickly because she won't be able to survive for long on her own. Vitoria needs to reach the great forest that lies over the horizon, but she doesn't realize that humans are at work barring the way. The islands of forests are surrounded by impassable obstacles. Any animals trying to get past them face lethal dangers. The road that runs across the tamarins' path is a strategic route that links the northeast of the country to the industrial south. There are plans to double the number of lanes in years to come. The demands of economic growth conflict with the need to conserve biodiversity. High-tension power lines, canals and industrial zones meet the demands of constantly growing human populations. The Brazilian economy has been booming for ten years. Energy consumption is rising all the time. Is this the new curse of the golden lion tamarin, living just 150 kilometers from one of the most densely populated urban zones in the world? Combined with the marmoset invasion, the enlargement of the freeway that crosses the tamarins' territory could wipe them out. The heads of the Poço da Senta's biological reserve are determined to act, but have little leeway. Political pressure achieves only limited results. They must find another strategy. With the help of those scientists who support their efforts, they've drawn up plans for giant wooded bridges that the tamarins will be able to use to cross the great ribbon of asphalt without having to leave their trees. Vitória's parents and brothers have to travel a kilometer and a half each day and spend each night in a different tree. They are simply surviving in this confined area. Major projects have been launched to connect different islands of forest, providing at least temporary solutions, until virgin forest covers bridges spanning the freeway. This means planting thousands of palm trees, begonias and orchids, as well as logwood, rosewood, mahogany and fig trees. The task mobilizes tens of thousands of hired hands and volunteer workers. The landscape is gradually being transformed. Strips of new forest run over hills and cross moors and grassland to connect the islands. Intensive urban development poses a threat once thought to be over for the golden lion tamarins. If local populations don't learn to value the species, it will become critically endangered again. People have to be persuaded not to go back to hunting and capturing tamarins. To do this, the Mico Leão Dourado Society is running an extensive awareness campaign aimed at children. Andreia Martins is working on the project. Andreia and her colleague Eli Sama were trained in these educational techniques when the reintroduction project was launched. Today, they are explaining why biologists care so much about tamarins. The pressures of the marmoset invasion are compounding other factors of extinction. Vitória is confused and doesn't know which way to turn. Creating her own family is a matter of life or death. Vitória has found another tamarin family. It includes a number of young males who'd certainly like to lead their own group. She and they eye each other cautiously. Vitória moves closer. The family's territory is a little island of paradise rich in fruit. Within seconds, the travelers chased off. Tamarins are social animals who can only live in groups. They find isolation so stressful that they can die of solitude. Vitória is alone in the world. The next day, she returns to her old family. They receive her coolly. It's against the rules of their species for an adult female to go back to her parents. The biologists who sometimes have to intervene to limit inbreeding are aware of her predicament. They need to know the precise level of inbreeding in the group. Can Vitória be given more time to found her own family? To find out, they have to capture her parents and brothers. DNA sequencing routine begins again. Tissue samples have been taken from each family member. Inbreeding can reduce life expectancy and lead to miscarriages and sterility. Action must be taken to manage these risks in such a severely endangered species. Geneticist Adriana Daut-Glativolle has started the testing process. A few hours later, the results are ready. Sadly, Vitória's family and the young female herself are inbred. They're trapped in a genetic blind alley. If they remain confined to their failing ecosystem, their bloodlines will die out in a few years. Only interbreeding with other groups can save them. Andrea Martín's team is studying the available options to help the family escape this genetic cul-de-sac. Unfortunately, the possibilities are very limited. The biological corridors aren't finished yet, and even when they are, there'll be nothing to stop the marmosets from using them too. Over hills and highways in the distance lies the Pozo da Santa's biological reserve. It covers an area 50 times larger than the forest where Vitória's family live at present. Most importantly, it is where the only original Tamarins live, the primates that are not descended from rewilded animals. Andrea's team sets out to explore the area, looking for a location that could provide a good home for the Afetiva family. The team members see no marmosets on the way. Local Tamarin families are thriving in a peaceful environment rich in resources. The biologists working with Andrea have to choose the right spot for the move, but they can't make the decision themselves. Tamarin displacements are among the most strictly regulated in the world. Ju Balu and Jennifer Mikkelberg in Washington have to approve the transfer. Given the genetic data, they feel that moving the Afetiva family is the only way to save its members. Vitória and her family usually allow the biologists to capture them without difficulty, but Andrea can find no sign of them. All the Tamarins that turned up belong to other groups. The team's receiver only picks up a distant, weak signal. Scientists have already observed the deaths of Tamarin families in the region caused by the physical and psychological pressure of the marmosets. Reluctantly, Andrea decides to call a halt to the search as night falls. The next day, the five members of the search party split into two groups to cover different areas. Andrea's group is the first to pick up a steady signal. They found the Afetiva family and informed the other team. Andrea tells the second team to capture the Tamarins. Her time will be more usefully spent preparing for the primate's arrival back at headquarters. As usual, the cages are carefully positioned in the trees. The Tamarins' hunger, and of course curiosity, proves stronger than their natural caution every time. Maybe they feel that being captured is a price worth paying for the ripe fruit. The operation takes a little longer each time. But the outcome is always the same. Even in captivity, the Tamarins stay focused on their meal. Vittoria remains in the forest, far from the others. Now there are only two families left on her territory, and the extra space gives her a much better chance of finding a suitable mate among them. The operation continues in the laboratory of the Posodacentes Biological Reserve. The Tamarins are given an exhaustive check-up before the move. First, they're anesthetized. Then, they're tattooed with a permanent identification number that will last longer than the black stains on their coats. The staff also record all their biometric data. The father is fitted with a radio collar so that the family can be located at any time. When they reach the spot chosen for the Afitiba family's relocation, the scientists are dismayed to see that another group has already moved into the area. Actually, I was afraid this group would be here in our way when we arrived. There are two. One here, another behind. You see? He's going... Oh, no, he's going that way. Look, they're actually severed. So the group's bigger, there are new children. Look, another one here. And there's another one over there, five. It's an indigenous group. They're in our way. We're going to go past with the other group and they'll end up on top of each other. They'll follow us and they'll complicate our job. We have to get them out of the way to get through. We'll try to avoid a fight. What are we going to do? Take them that way? So this is a native tamarin family, directly descended from the primates that escaped extinction. Their whole lives have been spent in the wild and their behavior can be unpredictable. They are aggressive and may attack the newcomers. Andrea's team decide to head further into the forest and relocate the Afitiba family in a safer place. A few kilometers on, they come to a clearing surrounded by dense forest. There's a platform here, showing that tamarins have already been released in this spot. The Afitiba family are all here. All the scientists have to do is open the cages one by one. The animals disappear into the forest at a speed that startles the biologists. They're worried that the family will head directly back to the native tamarins the team tried to keep them away from. No cries echo through the forest. Having just been given another chance, have the Afitiba monkeys immediately set off to confront their potential enemies? The biologists have to hunt them down and make sure their worst fears aren't about to be realized. The receiver shows that the Afitiba group is heading in the direction of the native tamarins. Suddenly, everyone stops. The Afitiba tamarins have halted halfway. They're still in their safety zone and have not approached their native cousins. They have found their paradise. The noise of the Afitiba family reaches the ears of the native tamarins far off. But the indigenous monkeys keep their distance. The dominant male and female will have other daughters. When the time comes, those daughters will explore the reserve and mate with young strangers, bringing a little more genetic diversity to the next generation. Meanwhile, Victoria has found a partner from one of the two families remaining in her patch of forest. He's willing to come with her and start a third family in the area where the Afitiba group formerly lived. In Pozo das Antas, a family has been saved from annihilation. Its members can prosper and breed in their new surroundings, as long as no gate-crashers turn up to spoil the party.