Yellow‐breasted capuchinCebus xanthosternos: support by zoos for its conservation – a success story

Abstract

A breeding programme for Yellow‐breasted capuchin Cebus xanthosternos was initiated at the Rio de Janeiro Primate Centre [Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro (CPRJ)], Brazil, in 1980 when this monkey was considered highly threatened. In 1987, a field survey concluded that an urgent measure that should be taken to save the species was the expansion of the breeding programme at the CPRJ and the extension of the programme to other collections with expertise in breeding New World primates. Mulhouse Zoo, France, proposed that CPRJ should expand the breeding programme to Europe and that the participating zoos should be asked to fund in situ conservation. The breeding programme began in Europe in 1990 at Mulhouse Zoo. At the end of 2010, there were 140 Yellow‐breasted capuchins at 21 European zoos. Since 2002, in situ conservation actions have provided important information about wild populations. The largest forest fragments, scattered across c. 470 000 km2 over Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga, were visited, and wild groups were monitored in three of them. The findings from these studies help us to understand the basic ecology of this primate and to build a conservation action plan for the future.

Capuchin monkey research priorities and urgent issues

“…The many captive hybrids of both with Sapajus libidinosus and S. apella cannot contribute to ex situ conservation programs. Fortunately, captive breeding programs have been established for S. xanthosternos in Brazilian zoos and abroad [Lernould et al, ].…”

Seed Dispersal of Threatened Tree Species by a Critically Endangered Primate in a Brazilian Hotspot

“…The yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys are critically endangered [Kierulff et al, 2015], and the total population is estimated to be between 3,500 and 5,000 individuals, scattered in small and isolated populations in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga [Lernould et al, 2012]. We monitored a radio-tagged group of S. xanthosternos from September 2006 to December 2008.…”

Introduction: New World Primates

“…Schmidt, ). A further four articles (Bairrão Ruivo & Wormell, ; Kierulff et al ., ; Lernould et al ., ; Savage & Guillen, ) provide clear examples of the successful development of threatened species programmes for primates that combine in situ and ex situ initiatives – pioneered by The Durrell Wildlife Park, Jersey, British Channel Islands, championed and developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and put into action with or by the various regional, national and international zoological park and aquarium associations, and their conservation committees. Lastly, Fernandez‐Duque () demonstrates the benefits of an integrated captive–field approach in providing insights into the private lives and ecological needs of New World primates, and most especially the difficult‐to‐study nocturnal owl monkeys.…”

“…The Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Programme, developed through the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA, is considered exemplary, and long‐term initiatives for the other three lion tamarins – Golden‐headed lion tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas , Black lion tamarin Leontopithecus chrysopygus and Black‐faced lion tamarin Leontopithecus caissara – emulating the original programme have also proven successful (Kleiman & Rylands, ; Holst et al ., ). Three other remarkable initiatives of this nature are reported in this Volume: in situ / ex situ conservation programmes for the Cotton‐top tamarin (Savage & Guillen, ) and the White‐footed tamarin Saguinus leucopus (Bairrão Ruivo & Wormell, ) in the devastated forests of northern Colombia, and the Yellow‐breasted capuchin Cebus xanthosternos (Lernould et al ., ) surviving, like the Golden lion tamarin, in the desperately fragmented and destroyed remnants of the Atlantic forest in Brazil.…”