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Weighing less than a pound, the cotton-top tamarin
(Saguinus oedipus) sports a shock of white
hair on its head and a long tail that helps it
balance in the treetops. Often called "South
America's cutest monkey," the cotton-top
tamarin is one of the most endangered primates
in the world. The species was declared Endangered
in 1973 following the exportation of 20,000-40,000
tamarins to the United States for use in biomedical
research. Cotton-top tamarins were found to spontaneously
develop colonic adenocarcinoma (cancer of the
colon). They served as the primary model for in-depth
studies of this disease throughout the 1980's.
Today the greatest threat to the survival of the
cotton-top tamarin is deforestation for agriculture,
fuel, and housing, in addition to collection for
the local pet trade in Colombia. Occurrences of
the illegal trade of cotton-tops still continues
throughout much of the world despite international
laws condemning such activity. The current population
estimate of cotton-tops is 6,000 individuals.
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Rosamira Guillen, a native of Colombia, heads
Proyecto Titi. In addition to determining the
number and distribution of cotton-top tamarins,
Rosamira and her team are working closely with
local communities to protect and restore the fragile
forests that remain. Colombia has a greater concentration
of species per unit area than any other country
but is among the top 10 countries for deforestion,
losing almost 2% of forest per year. Trees are
cut down for firewood and large tracts of land
are cleared to make way for more crops and livestock
grazing. Proyecto Titi works with farmers to set
aside sections of their land to plant young trees
that will provide food and protection for the
cotton tops, but also provide fruit and other
resources for the farmer. These tracts of new
forest also serve as important travel corridors
for the tamarins. The increase in cleared land
has forced them to travel on the ground between
forested sections, leaving them vulnerable to
predation and capture.
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Community involvement is a key component to the
programs of Proyecto Titi. In the village of Los
Limites, a group of 15 women create colorful handknit
tote bags and hats from discarded plastic bags
that litter the countryside. The discarded plastic
bags often hold bits of old food, which after
a few weeks poses a disease threat to animals
who ingest them and children who handle them.
Children from the communities collect the bags,
and they are carefully cleaned and woven into
sturdy tote bags and other useful items. In addition
to earning a good income for their families and
cleaning up the countryside, these enterprising
young women are also learning valuable skills
in managing a small business.
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Conservation education is a primary focus for
Proyecto Titi. The team collaborates with the
Barranquilla Zoo to teach both schoolchildren
and adults about the forest and endemic animals,
as well as the threats that they face. A variety
of myths and misconceptions are addressed, based
mostly on a lack of information. Surprisingly,
70% of high school students had never visited
the forest although it is only a few kilometers
away from their villages. Collaborative programs
involve exchange of information with schools in
the United States. Schoolkids from both countries
learn about and assess the state of their own
natural resources and share results and ideas
with each other. Hands-on experiences like this
have helped to generate national pride and a new
ethic for the future of the cotton top tamarin.
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