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[Jack Szwergold <jack AT royaljournal.com>]

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010403/sc/environment_monkey_dc_1.html
Tuesday April 3 11:09 PM ET
Tiny Golden Monkey Steps Back From Extinction


GENEVA (Reuters) - The tiny Golden Tamarind monkey from Brazil, a favorite
in zoos around the world and long kept as a pet, has taken a step back from
extinction in the wild, the conservation body WWF International said on
Wednesday.

The Swiss-based WWF, which for three decades has been running a project to
save the monkey, said a baby born late last month had become the 1,000th now
living in the Tamarind's native habitat, Brazil's Atlantic Forest.

Just 30 years ago only 200 Tamarinds -- popular for their bright eyes,
golden-tinted fur and fringe around the face -- were known to survive in the
rapidly disappearing forest.

``Reaching a total of 1,000 Tamarinds in the wild is a remarkable feat,''
Garo Matmanian of WWF's Brazilian (news - web sites) national organization
said in a statement.

Without the international effort to save it, the species and its habitat --
once covering 100 million hectares but now only seven percent of that size
due to farming and human settlement -- would have been extinct by now, he
added.

Wildlife experts say that to ensure the monkey's long-term survival, at
least 2,000 are needed in the wild. They vow to pursue conservation efforts,
which have included introduction of zoo-born monkeys into the forests.

Under the project, the WWF has worked to move Tamarinds from degraded land
to surviving forest patches in remote areas, where they will have a better
chance of reaching sustainable numbers.

``The Tamarind now has a real chance of survival,'' the WWF said.

-- 
Jack Szwergold | jack AT royaljournal.com
Royal Journal | http://www.royaljournal.com/
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