Former logger turned conservationist helps save colombia’s critically endangered cotton-top tamarins

In the tropical dry forests of northern Colombia, an unlikely conservation story is unfolding as former loggers join efforts to save one of the world’s most endangered primates. Luis Enrique Centena, who once spent decades cutting down trees in these forests, has transformed from destroyer to protector of the cotton-top tamarin’s rapidly disappearing habitat.

These distinctive primates, known locally as “titís,” are instantly recognizable by their punk rock-like white crests and expressive eyes. Cotton-top tamarins are among the planet’s rarest monkeys, with fewer than 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Their survival depends entirely on Colombia’s tropical dry forests, one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems with less than 5% of original forest cover remaining.

Centena’s journey from logger to conservationist reflects a broader shift happening in the region. “I used to cut trees and never took the titís into account,” he explains, making a soft whistle that draws curious tamarins closer in the forest canopy. “I ignored them. I didn’t know that they were in danger of extinction, I only knew I had to feed my family. But now we have become friends.”

The small but dedicated restoration team is working methodically to rebuild degraded forest habitat, planting native trees and creating corridors that allow tamarin troops to move safely between forest fragments. This community-based approach, which transforms former loggers into forest guardians, offers hope for both the charismatic primates and the people who share their homeland.