The Cotton-top Tamarin SSPÓ supports captive projects to enhance our management skills, education programs aimed at increasing awareness to the conservation efforts in the field and in captivity, and field studies combined with community action programs targeted at preserving habitat for this highly endangered species. To that end, we revisit our projects on a yearly basis to assess our progress and modify as needed to accommodate our growing conservation effort.

WEB PAGE - The management group supports the cotton-top tamarin web page (www.csew.com/cottontop) as the primary source for dissemination of information regarding husbandry, conservation, and education programs on cotton-top tamarins.

INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVES – The Cotton-top Tamarin SSPÓ will develop a list serve for all institutional representatives. This list serve will enable the management group to communicate important findings in a timely fashion and eliminate extra mailings.

NECROPSY DATABASE Develop a necropsy database in conjunction with our Veterinary Advisor Dr. Don Neiffer and our Veterinary Pathology Advisor Dr. Scott Terrell to examine the causes of mortality in the captive population. This information will be compared to the published literature and efforts will be made to determine if additional preventative measures that could be instigated to reduce the amount of mortality observed in the various age classes.

Based on the findings generated from the necropsy database project, we will investigate the development of a Callitrichid Husbandry Training course that would be targeted for keepers/senior keepers and our institutional representatives. This course would be in partnership with the New World Primate Taxon Advisory Group.

CONTRACEPTIVE TRIALS In collaboration with Dr. Bill Lasley of the University of California Davis and Dr. Atul Skukla of the University of Tennessee, we are planning to test the efficacy of an injectable LNG contraceptive. Clinical trials should begin by June of 2000.

PROYECTO TITI - The long-term field study of cotton-top tamarins in Colombia continues to receive the endorsement of the management group. In addition to scientific studies, the staff of Proyecto Tití are working in collaboration with Colombian zoos to highlight the our programs. Recent publications are listed on the web page.

ECOLOMBIA - This new initiative will attempt to develop a sustainable economy based on sales of products in zoo gift shops. Local communities will make arts and crafts that could be sold in US zoos. Three species have been selected for their highly endangered status in Colombia; cotton-top tamarin, silvery-brown bare-faced, blue-billed curassow. Proceeds from the sales will go to pay wages to the artisans as well as purchase land for long term preservation these species. We will begin a feasibility study in 2000.