The small golden lion tamarin is one of Brazil’s most recognisable animals, but its presence on the R$20 banknote represents much more than national wildlife. The species (Leontopithecus rosalia) was once pushed dangerously close to extinction, with only about 200 animals remaining in the wild in the early 1970s. Brazil’s central bank describes the tamarin on the note as a symbol of the struggle to preserve endangered Brazilian species. According to Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Institute, its recovery became one of the landmark stories of modern primate conservation, and zoologist Devra G. Kleiman played a central role in building the programme that connected captive breeding, field research, education and the eventual return of captive-born animals to Brazil’s forests. The recovery also showed that protecting a species requires more than breeding animals in captivity, with restoring fragmented forest habitat becoming essential to securing the tamarin’s long-term survival.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
