Bencao

Bencao, also fondly known as “Ben,” is the golden lion tamarin that you’ll usually find front-and-center in the midst of a crowd of smiling visitors during free-ranging season. Identified by his yellow tracking collar, Ben normally sits on the tree limb or rope closest to guests, deceptively giving them the impression that he is the friendliest of the tamarins. This behavior, however, is only one of the many protective paternal behaviors that Ben frequently exhibits while free-ranging. Not only does he try to ensure that visitors don’t get too close to his family by positioning himself between the two, but he also always insists on being the first tamarin out of the indoor habitat and the last one in, making sure that his mate (Spree) and his five offspring are safe at all times.

Likewise, Ben can often be seen walking across a rope or branch with his back arched in a display of dominance. In an attempt to protect his territory, Ben will also often try to scare keepers away if they enter the free-ranging area by quickly approaching them while letting out a high-pitched alarm call. Throughout the years, Ben has definitely proven himself to be a very attentive and protective father. Not only is Ben a great parent, but he is also one of the most attractive of our golden lion tamarins. With his particularly full and dark, orange coat, Ben definitely has the good looks to back up his big personality.

Dionisio

Dionisio and his twin brother, Theo, were born at Zoo Atlanta to parents Ben and Spree on March 11, 2006. Of all of his brothers and sisters currently living at the Zoo, Dionisio bears the strongest resemblance to Ben. Both Ben and Dionisio are big, dark and very handsome.

Not only does Dionisio look like Ben, but he also acts like him! They are both very macho. As the breeding male, Ben takes charge of protecting the group, always keeping a close eye out for predators, and Dionisio takes it upon himself to be the co-protector. He is always very alert, scanning the area for any threats. He stands guard from his favorite lookout position, which is on the rope that connects the outdoor and indoor habitats.

Dionisio takes breaks from standing guard to hang out with his brothers and sisters. He is the social butterfly of the family. The siblings are usually split up between the girls and boys, but Dionisio spends equal amounts of time with both groups. He spends time with his sisters wrestling on the platform, and he also spends a lot of time with Theo, bouncing around high up in the trees.

Spree

Golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosali) are an endangered endemic species of the Atlantic coastal forest in Brazil. Due to their conservation status, zoos have been actively breeding golden lion tamarins in captivity since 1994. Spree was one such GLT that was born in captivity at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, on July 30, 1999. When Spree was almost 4 years old, she left Kansas to meet her mate, Bencao, at Zoo Atlanta. It wasn’t until late August 2003 that Spree and Bencao were able to free-range in the open habitat known as Monkey Island.

On March 22, 2004, Spree and Bencao had their first offspring, a boy named Paolo. About a year later, on January 31, 2005, Spree and Bencao had their first set of twins, a boy and a girl named Bela. Not long after, on June 14, 2005, they had their second set of twins, both females, named Duende and Dourada. About a year later, on March 11, 2006, they had their last set of twins, both boys, named Theo and Dionisio.

Spree is now enjoying her free-ranging family of four, which includes Bencao, Theo and Dionisio. Her offspring have a great attachment to her and show visible distress when separated from her. Although Spree is a protective mother, she is often seen lying by herself on a low rope in the trees in Monkey Island, observing visitors.   

Theo

Looking up through the trees of the free-range habitat, it’s usually easy to count all seven golden lion tamarins with a keen eye. But sometimes there is one tamarin that is extremely hard to detect, and you can bet on which one that will be: Theo. Theo is an extremely active and agile 16-month-old tamarin. He is the smallest of the group, and may come off as a little shy, but don’t be fooled: what he lacks in size, he makes up in personality. When looking for him, you have to be extremely thorough and check all of the tops of the trees, because he will be as high up as he can possibly go. He is extremely fast, so don’t expect him to stop and pose for a picture, because he most certainly will not. He is way too busy testing every branch to make sure it’s sturdy enough for the rest of his family. So one may wonder, with such an important and dangerous job, why doesn’t he ever fall? Well, the truth is, he does fall, all of the time.  Theo just happens to be not only a tough little guy, but he is also very persistent. When he falls, he bounces up and is back where he belongs, doing his job, before anyone really knows what has happened.

Theo is also quite the jumper. It is rare to see him walking or even running like the rest of the group; he prefers jumping. You can’t blame him, though, if we had the ability to jump as quickly and as far as tamarins can, most of us wouldn’t be walking, either. This makes it even harder to keep track of Theo. If he comes down for a bite to eat, don’t expect him to stay down for long. As you see him turn around and look back up the tree, watch closely, and you will see his jumping ability in action. In a couple of precise movements, he is exactly where he wants to be – in the safety of the treetops.

Next time you stop by the golden lion tamarin free-range habitat at Zoo Atlanta, be sure to look for Theo. Although he may be a little more difficult to locate than some of his other family members, he’s worth the extra effort. He often shows these unique abilities that tamarins possess, which is why we appreciate him so much. 

– Kristen Barnaby, author

Video:

A short video of our tamarin family in the free-ranging habitat. (QuickTime format. Download size 4.79 MB. Recommended for users with high-speed connections.)

Golden Lion Tamarins at Zoo Atlanta: Boot Camp Alumni

Fritz and Stumpy were reintroduced to the coastal rainforests of Brazil in 1995. Although their reintroduction was a success, this pair has not produced many offspring.

Jose and Bichu, plus their twins, were reintroduced to Brazil in 1996. Their twins were left unnamed because of their imminent return to the wild. This family has been highly successful in their new home, and they have now produced at least 65 descendants.