the international union for conservation of nature classifies geoffroy's tamarin as being "near threatened" however, in some localities the population may be declining due to habitat loss. it is also sometimes hunted and captured for the pet trade in panama. a 1985 study in panama concluded that geoffroy tamarin population densities are higher in areas where human access is limited. human activity in panama can have both positive and negative effects on geoffroy's-tamarin populations. while hunting decreases the population, cutting mature forest for agriculture provides more areas of secondary growth, which is beneficial for the tamarin.