Home of Golden Lion Tamarins Greatly Expanded

Golden Lion Tamarins (GLTs) received a wonderful gift on World Environment Day, June 5, 2017, when the Brazilian government decreed the expansion of the União Biological Reserve, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, from its current 2.5 thousand hectares to over 7.5 thousand hectares. This is now three times the original size of the Reserve that was created in 1998 as a result of pressure by SGLT’s Brazilian partner organization AMLD, together with other partner institutions. In 2007, AMLD in partnership with SavingSpecies purchased 40 hectares of cattle pasture that separated the União Reserve from forests to the west. AMLD reforested that cattle pasture thus linking União to adjacent forests. The rich biodiversity in this area of the Atlantic Forest includes lots of GLTs and other mammals, as well as other species that rely on this habitat including amphibians, birds, orchids, butterflies, and more.

Since the creation of the União Reserve, AMLD and partners have lobbied to increase the size of the Reserve. In February of 2017, AMLD's Executive Secretary travelled to Brasilia to meet with government officials concerning important issues that included increasing the size of União. On June 5, 2017, the President of Brazil signed a bill increasing the União Reserve from 2,584 hectares to 7,756 hectares, including the 40 hectares purchased reforested by AMLD—a huge contribution to GLT conservation because it permanently protects at additional 5,000 hectares of GLT habitat.

What a wonderful way to celebrate and ensure that 2017 is TRULY the Year of the Golden Lion Tamarin!