The first studbook for the European zoo collection of Callicebus cupreus was produced in 2003, with data current up to 31 December 2002 (Webster, 2004). Darren Webster, of Blackpool Zoo, UK, has produced a second studbook covering another year of births, deaths, and movements current through 31 December 2003. These studbooks were produced due to the large number of individuals taken in by European zoos from the California Regional Primate Research Center, Davis, during the years 2000–2002.

The red titi has a wide range on the upper Amazon, reported to be restricted to the east of the Río Ucayali in Peru to the south of the Rio Amazonas-Solimões in Peru and Brazil, extending east as far the Rio Purus in Brazil (Hershkovitz, 1990; Van Roosmalen et al., 2002). Although quite variable in pelage patterns, its key distinguishing features include the lack of a frontal white blaze across the forehead, reddish- brown cheeks and sideburns, reddish-brown forearms and forelegs and an overall buff-brown agouti crown, back, upper arms, thighs, and tail. The tail can be overall similar to the back (dark brownish) or very much paler to varying extents from the tip to its proximal portion. Andrew Kitchener, Curator of Mammals and Birds of the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, discusses this variability in a short essay in the studbook, “Understanding morphological variation in the red titi, Callicebus cupreus” (pp.24–25) and provides a protocol and recommendations for cosmetic postmortems (pp.26–27), requesting that carcasses be submitted to him for registration and preservation.

In 2003, the programme for the red titi monkey was upgraded from a European Studbook (ESB) to a full-blown European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The living population registered in the studbook on 31 December 2003 was 36 (18.17.1) in eight institutions. Six individuals (2.4.0) in two institutions were not imported from Davis, are of unknown origin, and are not included in the breeding population. Two institutions (the Edinburgh Zoo and the Skansan Akvarium, Sweden) joined the breeding programme. All collections in a breeding situation produced young in 2002 and 2003. There were seven births (3.2.2) in 2003 with five (3.1.1) surviving. Two adults died and a third individual was transferred to a private breeder and is no longer part of the breeding program. Overall growth for the breeding population was, therefore, two.

The studbook also includes information on the inbreeding coefficient, age pyramid and births, deaths and transfers, and full historical listing. There are contact details for diploid chromosome sampling and a list of Callicebus karyotypes (adapted from Hershkovitz, 1990). The eight institutions collaborating in the EEP are Apenheul Nature Park, The Netherlands (0.2.0); Basel Zoo, Switzerland (2.0.0); Berlin, Germany (2.3.0); Blackpool Zoo, Great Britain (5.4.0); Bristol Zoo, Great Britain (1.1.1); Edinburgh Zoo, Great Britain (2.1.0); La Vallée des Singes, Romagne, France (3.5.0); and Skansan Akvarium, Sweden (3.1.0).