Cotton Top Tamarins

Cotton Top Tamarins A colombian adventure

I spent a day with photographer Karine Aigner looking for cotton top tamarins in the forest in Colombia.

A cotton top tamarin looking down at us

The cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), often affectionately called tití, is one of the most endangered primates in the world. It is small monkey - the size of a squirrel. These monkeys live only in the tropical forests in Colombia. The species has been declared Critically Endangered.

The skull of a cotton top tamarin is much smaller than that of other monkeys

Karine was invited by Johana Pasión of the organization, Proyecto Tití, to come to their field office to learn about the work they do to protect the cotton top tamarins. We were also invited to go into the forest to see some titís in their home environment. Neither Karine nor I was sure what we were getting ourselves into. We took a taxi from Cartagena to the field office at Hacienda el Ceibal, which was about an hour away. When we arrived, Johana and other staff members explained to us why the titís are endangered and what their organization is doing to protect them.

Cotton top tamarins can be found in Hacienda el Ceibal, northern Colombia, not far from the Caribbean Sea

Before heading into the forest, we were warned about snakes and were asked if we wanted to borrow boots for this field trip. We declined, but I admit to becoming more anxious about this adventure. It didn't help that I also had to sign an indemnity agreement waiving the responsibility of the organization for any untoward event!

The field office has jars of preserved snakes that were found in the adjacent forest.

The closest forest home of the local tití family groups was beyond a large cow pasture, and we set out across the hot and humid pasture to reach the forest. There were 7 of us - Johana (our guide), two staff members, a couple from Europe who were also interested in seeing titís in the wild, and Karine and myself.

Karine outside the field office, ready for the trek.

The forest is located behind the large cow pasture.

The titís live in small social groups in the forest trees, although they occasionally come down to the ground. Finding a tití group is both a science and an art.

The science part is using a directional antennae and receiver to pick up signals from a radio transmitter that's been attached to a harness on the back of the dominant male of each group.

The antennae and receiver for picking up radio signals

Notice how this man is outfitted. He's wearing both boots and leg gaiters and is carrying a machete.

The art part is trying to pick up signals from a radio transmitter.

Searching for radio signals

There was a lot of moving from place to place trying to find radio signals.

Once signals were picked up, we were off - tramping quickly and somewhat randomly through the forest to zero in on the signals. The machete was used often to hack a trail through thick brush.

Moving toward the radio signals

It took us around 45 minutes to find a group of titís. The first ones we saw were fairly high in the trees.

There were at least three cotton top tamarins in the group we found - probably more, but it was hard to keep track of them as they scampered through the trees.

There was also a tití that didn't have the characteristic white fur on its head. Perhaps this was a juvenile, since both male and female adults have the large white poof.

Not all of the cotton tops displayed the characteristic white tuff.

The cotton top tamarin without the white tuff was fairly close to the ground.

But, eventually, one of the other titís came down even closer.

And I was able to get a better picture!

For me, this was an awesome adventure! Sitting in the forest and watching the cotton top tamarins romp in the trees was a treasured experience!

For more information about conservation efforts for the cotton top tamarins, check out the Proyecto Tití website.

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VIVIAN NAGY

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Cotton Top Tamarins A colombian adventure

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