Assistants needed
for Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project
Effective
IMMEDIATELY. We are searching for two reliable, hard-working field assistants
to participate in an on-going study examining communal infant care and
fission-fusion dynamics in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata).
This research is part of a larger, long-term study the Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur
Project (RRLP) initiated in 2005 by PI Dr. Andrea Baden that aims to examine
the behavioral ecology, demography, and reproductive physiology of
black-and-white ruffed lemurs.
In the field,
assistant responsibilities will entail:
- Full-day
behavioral observations (12-hour days)
- Recording
GPS ranging coordinates
- Fecal
collection (for hormones)
- Coordinating
field expeditions
- Leading
research teams and coordinating research
- Data
entry
Assistants will be
expected to spend a minimum of 2 weeks in the field (Mangevo bushcamp) per
month, with Sundays off for personal time. Weeks not spent in the field will be
spent at CVB Research Station entering data, processing samples, and/or
coordinating forthcoming field expeditions. Assistants will be on alternating
schedules, so will only ever overlap on weekends prior to or after expeditions.
I may tentatively be in Ranomafana and available to train assistants in October
2017. Otherwise, assistants will be trained by experienced CVB technicians in
current project protocol. Please note that we will not be present for the
majority of the field component of this study. Field assistants should
therefore be willing to work as a team and demonstrate ability in leadership
positions.
We encourage
assistants to work on independent projects/research questions as long as they
fit within the existing data collection protocol. This position is a great
opportunity for someone wishing to gain field experience, as you will learn
various field methods relevant to the study of animal behavior and ecology.
Prior assistants have gone on to graduate school and have published
first-authored manuscripts as a result of their experiences. Please contact Dr.
Andrea Baden (andrea.baden@gmail.com) for a more detailed description of the
project.
Learn more HERE
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant        |
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