Monkey Mania 2021

Our primate keepers selected eight monkey species to be featured in a friendly online voting competition #stlmonkeymania from March 2 through April 6, 2021.

You, our fans, had the opportunity to vote weekly on Facebook.com/stlzoo for your favorite species (based on animal traits) to help them advance from the Arboreal Eight, through the Forest Four and on to the Final round.

Winner!

You have chosen a champion — the golden lion tamarin! The Primate House will be temporarily renamed "Golden Lion Tamarin Primate House" in their honor, and the tamarins will celebrate with special attention.

These tiny monkeys – they weigh about as much as a couple of cans of soda – are a big success story, thanks to Saint Louis Zoo and others.

There were only about 200 left in Brazil just 50 years ago! Zoos began breeding and reintroduction efforts, which helped pull them back from the brink of extinction.

And the Saint Louis Zoo is part of a Species Survival Program that makes sure a healthy population of golden lion tamarins remains, safe and sound.

But our work isn't done. They're still endangered, with just 2% of their forest left. So few remain in the wild that they wouldn't even fill the seats for a basketball game at the Washington University Field House.

We'll keep protecting them, but you can help, too, even if you don't live in the forests of Brazil:

• Reduce, re-use, recycle — in that order.
• Use Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified wood and paper products.
• Use rainforest-friendly coffee, such as Rainforest Alliance Certified.

See more on how you can help wildlife.

2021 Winner — Golden Lion Tamarin

2020 Winner – Cotton-top Tamarin