Eats, Shoots and Leaves Us Sad

Legendary conservation biologist Devra Gail Kleiman, known for single-handedly saving a species, passed away recently at George Washington University Hospital from cancer.

Legendary conservation biologist Devra Gail Kleiman, known for single-handedly saving a species, passed away recently at George Washington University Hospital from cancer. In the early 1970s, when the golden lion tamarins, a variety of Brazilian monkeys with a small reddish orange face, were in danger of extinction, Kleiman suggested the radical ideal of setting up a cooperative breeding programme for them in American zoos. She then used genetic data to create strong tamarin offspring, which were then reintroduced into the forests of Brazil. And in 1972, when the Chinese government presented the pandas Ling Ling and Hsing-Hsing to the United States, it led to Kleiman researching their diet and mating habits, unknown until then. Her study of the giant pandas has enabled scientists to conserve the species.

About The Author

Avantika Bhuyan