Brazil monkey reserve fire brought under control
Date: 29-Aug-02
Country: BRAZIL
"The fire has been controlled, although it has not been extinguished," a spokesman for the reserve said.
The fire that began on Saturday burnt 3,210 acres (1,300 hectares) of low-lying brush and turf in the 12,360-acre (5,000 hectare) reserve that lies 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Rio de Janeiro.
It is the principal habitat of the endangered golden lion tamarin monkey, a symbol of Brazil's environmental conservation drive.
A spokesman for the reserve said the tiny monkeys, which weigh about one pound (500 grams) and are named after their bright lion-like manes, had escaped safely from the fire as it did not affect the area where they live.
Golden lion tamarin monkeys are among the world's rarest mammals, with only about 1,000 estimated to be living in the wild in or around Poco das Antas.