A tribute to Devra Kleiman, a pioneer in conservation biology
Devra G. Kleiman died unexpectedly of cancer on 29 April 2010 in Washington, D.C. The news of her
death at age 67 generated a spontaneous outpouring of tributes from hundreds of people around the
world whom Devra had mobilized on a multitude of paths in conservation and science.
Throughout her 40-year career, Devra Kleiman used innovative scientific approaches to address
conservation issues and consistently modeled the collaborative processes that are critical for effective
actions. In her own words, her interests and expertise were in “mammalian reproduction and behavior,
zoo biology, conservation biology, organization development and institutional strategic
planning, and program evaluation.” She authored over 150 scientific and popular publications, lectured
widely, and was editor or coeditor of eight books and symposia, including the much referenced Wild
Mammals in Captivity and Lion Tamarins: Biology and Conservation. Over her career, she served as a
mentor and advisor for hundreds of students throughout the world.
Devra is perhaps best known for her work with the golden lion tamarin, a small primate endemic to the
Atlantic Forest of Brazil. In 1972, when she first became involved with this tamarin, there were at most
several hundred animals in the wild and fewer than 75 in captivity. In 1974 Devra assumed responsibility
for the tamarin studbook and began a collaborative, international effort to alter this species’ trajectory
toward extinction. By 1980 the captive population was expanding rapidly, and zoos that owned golden
lion tamarins agreed not to sell their stock so the animal no longer would be traded. Zoos that owned
golden lion tamarins and those that had the animals on loan formed a consortium to cooperate in re-
search and management. This agreement would become a model for future collaborations among zoos to
manage captive populations of species and is seen today in the efforts of the World Association of Zoos
and Aquariums and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to establish standard management concepts for species conservation.
Devra was a founding member of the International Committee for the Conservation and Management of
Lion Tamarins, which officially advised the Brazilian government on the management of the four species
of lion tamarins in captivity and in the wild. She was an active participant in that body until a few days be-
fore her death. Devra negotiated the 1990 transfer of ownership to the Brazilian government of all but five
golden lion tamarins in captivity. Recently the Brazilian authorities have used the golden lion tamarin
model as a template for creation of other international management committees and for regional
conservation planning.
In 1972 the Wild Animal Propagation Trust Conference on the Golden Marmoset took place at the
National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Devra presented the final paper in the conference, in which she
identified the importance of applying reproductive and behavioral science to the issue of captive breeding
and laid out the roadmap that was to guide golden lion tamarin research. Devra was one of the early
advocates and practitioners of applying science to captive breeding and conservation.
Devra’s early research led to increased breeding success in the captive population of tamarins. As the
captive population grew, plans began for reintroducing golden lion tamarins to Brazil’s first biological
reserve, Poco das Antas, which had been gazetted in 1974. Devra’s insight was to ensure that ownership
of the tamarins and the capacity to manage the wild population remained firmly in Brazilian hands. She
was adamant that training and mentoring of Brazilian professionals be central to the effort. The
reintroduction process, which began in 1984, eventually involved many Brazilian and international
institutions that were informed by research on wild and reintroduced populations, the species’ habitat, and
the social and economic contexts of their reintroduction.
A critical component of the golden lion tamarin reintroduction program was education. Through teacher
training, local community outreach, and partnerships with municipalities, the plight of the golden lion
tamarin became a popular preoccupation, and the conservation success evinced national pride. (con't...)
