BIODIVERSITY
https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2022.2140709
Golden lion tamarins use artificial canopy overpass to get around: a new road for
their conservation?
Helio Secco a, Rodrigo Delmonte Gessullib, Mateus Melo Diasc, Thiago de Oliveira Machadob
and Marcello Guerreirod
a
UFRJ NUPEM, Macaé, Brazil; bCONCREMAT AMBIENTAL, São Paulo, Brazil; cUFLA, Lavras, Brazil; dARTERIS FLUMINENSE, Niterói, Brazil
ARTICLE HISTORY Received 31 July 2022; Accepted 24 October 2022
In early 2020, fences and wildlife safe passages were
established as wildlife mitigation measures on a recently
twinned stretch of the BR-101/RJ Norte highway, which
crosses part of the State of Rio de Janeiro, along the
Atlantic Forest biome, in Brazil. Historically, the highway
has caused collisions between vehicles passing through it
and regional fauna (Grilo et al. 2018), such as crab-eating
fox (Cerdocyon thous), southern tamandua (Tamandua
tetradactyla), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novem­
cinctus), and Brazilian common opossum (Didelphis aur­
ita), along with many other species.
It also acted as a geographic barrier to the natural
movement of some species such as the golden lion tamarin
(Leontopithecus rosalia). This situation geographically iso­
lated this endemic, endangered species, which is approach­
ing ever closer to the threat of extinction. They have
a population estimated at less than 4000 individuals in
the wild (only 1400 mature) (Ruiz-Miranda et al. 2019).
The BR-101/RJ Norte Highway cuts the species’ distribu­
tion area by dividing protected areas (União Biological
Reserve and Poço das Antas Biological Reserve) and
large forest patches maintained by rural landowners
where the largest population densities of golden lion
tamarins occur. Therefore, the connection between these
areas needs to be restored, to enable natural mating pat­
terns to reestablish, which in turn diversifies the gene pool,
and ensures the species’ long-term viability (Ascensão et al.
2019). The persistence of the species is directly associated
with its capacity to cross the highway lanes and other
elements that are part of the anthropized landscape matrix
to establish contact with other groups.
In this context, 10 canopy overpasses (six composed
of concrete corridors and four metal structures) were set
up focussed on arboreal fauna, with golden lion tamar­
ins distributed along an approximately 50 km stretch of
the BR-101/RJ Norte (see Figure 1). Each structure
received ropes connecting the surrounding trees to the
CONTACT Helio Secco hkcsecco@gmail.com UFRJ NUPEM: Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
© 2022 Biodiversity Conservancy International
entrance to the passage, as well as crossing from the
inside, allowing different means of movement for the
arboreal fauna inside the structure (Figure 2). The con­
crete canopy overpasses are 2.97 m high, 4.15 m wide,
and 40 m long, while the metal canopy overpasses are
2.73 m high, 2.20 m wide and 40 m long. Given the
scarcity of similar case studies, the two types of structure
were designed by a group of specialists focussed on the
golden lion tamarin, for later evaluation of their respec­
tive effectiveness during the monitoring of the crossings,
with the agreement of the environmental agency licen­
sor. In September 2021 (approximately 14 months after
these structures were installed), systematic monitoring
of the use of eight of these structures for the safe cross­
ing of arboreal fauna began (km 195 + 500; 202 + 760;
212 + 600; 215; 223; 234 + 600; 235 + 200; 240 + 100).
Monitoring was, and continues to be, carried out by
installing camera traps at both entrances of the canopy
overpasses, to capture images of the approach and cross­
ing of any animal that interacts with the safe passages.
Fortunately, with only 4 months of monitoring carried
out between September and December/2021, the analy­
sis of the images of these overpasses has already justified
the installation of these structures, given that numerous
arboreal species have used them, including golden lion
tamarins (km 212 + 600; 240 + 100), as well as marmo­
sets (Callithrix sp.) (km 212 + 600; 240 + 100), opos­
sums (Didelphis aurita) (km 202 + 760; 215; 234 + 600;
235 + 200) and porcupines (Coendou spinosus) (km
212 + 600; 240 + 100).
The overpass located at km 240 + 100 m of the
highway (passage no. 10 in Figure 1), composed of
a metal structure and installed in May 2020, was the
passage with the highest number of species and cross­
ings recorded. The passage is located in an area where
patches of Atlantic Forest vegetation reach both sides
of the highway, forming a movement corridor for
2 H. SECCO ET AL.

Figure 1. Study area with canopy overpasses along the BR-101/RJ North highway.

Figure 2. Golden lion tamarin crossing the metal structure of the canopy overpass.

arboreal fauna. These factors make it appealing for the
golden lion tamarin, who make use of it. Considering
that the golden lion tamarin was historically dispersed
in isolated groups along forest patches, the record of 22
crossing events (one in November and 21 in
December) of different individuals of both sexes,
young and adults, is a highly significant record for
the conservation of this species, worthy of celebration.
These individuals are crossing the highway to discover
a new face of the landscape with ecological resources
that they had not yet explored, enabling the formation
of new reproductive pairs that may increase the gene
flow between subpopulations and the genetic diversity
of the species (Ascensão et al. 2019). The initial data
indicate a gradual increase in the use of structures after
the first recorded crossings, where later images show
adults carrying their pups as they cross from one road­
side to the other through the overpass (Figure 2). Our

findings reveal that entire groups are using these pas­
sages and now have home ranges spreading across both
sides of the road. We believe this trend will only
increase as the animals become familiar with the
overpasses.
Our results also contribute to the discussion around
the single large or several small (SLOSS) hypotheses
applied to road ecology (Helldin 2022), given that the
structures of canopy overpass show great potential in
view of the results generated so far. For arboreal species,
investing in multiplying structures like these along high­
ways is a more economical mitigation strategy with
a satisfactory level of efficiency compared to large struc­
tures as landscape bridges (vegetated viaducts), which
cost approximately 5 times more. Through the continu­
ity of the study and the accumulation of more data, we
intend to elucidate this hypothesis. Other targets of the
study will be to understand the influence of the land­
scape around the highway, and the structural character­
istics of the passages, on the variable crossing rate of the
different species. The road administration will continue
to monitor wildlife safe passages, with the intention of
understanding in greater depth the dynamics and inten­
sity of their use by the different species, but predomi­
nantly for the golden lion tamarin: the most endangered
species in this region of Brazil. The mitigation measures
installed are the result of joint efforts among the road
administration (Arteris Fluminense), representatives of
the third sector (AMLD – Golden Lion Tamarin
Association), environmental licensing agency
(IBAMA – Brazilian Institute for the Environment),
the management agency of protected areas (ICMBIO –
Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation),
researchers working in the region (UENF – Northern
Rio de Janeiro State University), and the Federal Public
Ministry (MPF).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the
authors.
BIODIVERSITY 3
Notes on contributors
Helio Secco is a collaborating researcher at the 1 Universidade
Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil. His research
areas are transportation ecology and mammal ecology.
Rodrigo Delmonte Gessulli is an environmental analyst at the
2 Concremat Ambiental, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. His research
areas are road ecology and wildlife management.
Mateus Melo Dias is a collaborating researcher at the 1
Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil. His
research areas are landscape ecology and mammal ecology.
Thiago de Oliveira Machado is an environmental manager at
the 2 Concremat Ambiental, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. His
research areas are road ecology and environmental impact.
Marcello Guerreiro is an environmental coordinator at the 2
Arteris Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. His research areas are
road ecology and forest restoration.
ORCID
Helio Secco http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2781-3226
References
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