Thanks to the Tonia at the Gorilla Keepers Forum for pointing it out!

convicted

Dutch Biologist Marc van Roosmalen reported that he had previously filed for permits (1996, 1998, 2000) but received no reply from Ibama (the environmental protection agency). Apparently it is generally accepted that if you don’t receive word after 45 days, the application has been accepted. While officials have acknowledged that van Roosmalen did apply, they deny that the 45-day rule is “not explicit in the legislation.”

I first learned of this from Primate-Science listserv yesterday where the post began with a statement of shock before requesting suggestions on how everyone could help… feel free to post your own thoughts which I will gladly pass along.

(photo courtesy of the Apenheul Foundation via Radio Netherlands Worldwide)

It’s an exciting step in conservation efforts given the recent claims that orangutans could become extinct in the next 50 years without intervention.

The proposed plan is anticipated to be ready by late 2007.

Examples provided:

• approaching the glass
  • 54% decrease

• climbing and eating
  • 13% increase

• playing and grooming each other
  • 16% increase

Dr. Jan de Ruiter, Department of Anthropology, Durham University:

“We initially found some levels of stress among the mandrills. Their behaviour showed signs of anxiety and social tension. Visitors can further aggravate this stress as some people interpret the mandrills’ behaviour as amusing and start mimicking them.”

“As soon as the shrubs were positioned, we noticed an immediate improvement in the welfare of the mandrills, who displayed significantly less anti social behaviour. The botanical display also adds to the visitor experience as they gain a more natural impression of the type of environment in which the mandrills would be living in the wild in Africa.”

Makes sense doesn’t it?

As for visitors further aggravating the stress… as I’m sure many of us can, I can certainly vouch for that. Spending months observing behavior in the Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo, opened my eyes to the insensitivity of some individuals who feel it is acceptable to bang on the glass enclosure, yell at the animals, and egg them on in an infinite number of ways. While shrubbery won’t stop some people from being themselves, it sounds like it’s successfully keeping the distance and making life a little calmer for the mandrills. Excellent news.

Dr. Sonya Hill, Research Officer at Chester Zoo:

“This study shows that by measuring the behaviour of animals in their habitats, whether they be in the wild or in a zoo, we can understand their needs and preferences better. In this way, researchers can ‘ask’ the animals what they want. Zoos can then provide enclosures that aim to meet these needs and maintain good animal welfare. It is important to remember that life in the wild is not stress-free either, with factors such as predation, competition for food, and disease or injury, and as we learn more about each species we can understand what behavioural strategies they use to cope with their environment.”

The effort of the researchers has been recognized by UFAW (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) and honored with the Wild Animal Welfare Award. The money awarded will be used for further animal welfare research at Chester Zoo.

As someone who believes facial expressions reveal important information (whether you’re human or not), you can imagine my excitement to see research involving a connection of facial expressions in human and non-human primates. An article from Yerkes National Primate Research Center newsroom, “Chimpanzee Facial Expressions Are Helping Researchers Understand Human Communication,” describes non-human primate facial expressions as complex and potentially helpful in understanding the evolution of human emotional communication.

Dr. Lisa Parr, Director of Yerkes National Primate Research Center Cognitive Testing Facility and Chimpanzee Core:

“This discovery is an important step to help researchers recognize facial movements and understand why they are important. While some expressions, such as a playful look, can be identified using a single feature, other expressions, such as when a chimp bares his teeth, require looking at numerous characteristics within the face, including the eyes and lips.”

“Sometimes it’s easy to read what people are feeling, but at other times, we have to look at multiple places on their faces. Ultimately, we want to better understand what people are feeling and expressing emotionally because it helps us empathize with one another.”

Parr created the Chimpanzee Facial Action Coding System in order to better examine the complex nature of facial expressions. Chimps were asked to examine and match 3D pictures of facial expressions. Sheila Sterk, Senior Animal Behavior Management Specialist elaborated on the process:

“After the chimpanzees matched similar images, we separated individual features of the original animated expression, such as a raised brow, by frame and pieced the frames back together to create a variation of the original expression. The chimpanzees then were asked to match the new expression to the original one. This is how we determined when the chimpanzees were using a single feature or if they needed more than one feature to match the similar expressions.”

(courtesy of Science Direct; photo credit to Yerkes National Primate Research Center)

Parr was scheduled to present the data of her research last weekend at the Mind of the Chimpanzee conference. I’m excited to read more about this research. If anyone sees any articles pop up, please spread the word.

Effie, from Leipzig Zoo, joins Bobby and Zaire in an effort to recreate a natural gorilla harem.

The £5.3m project includes indoor and outdoor play areas where the gorillas will live with colubus monkeys.

(photo courtesy of BBC News)

(photo courtesy of BBC News)

Willie Smits (Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Center) reports:

“Two of the orangutans have given birth, both to male babies”

It has been discovered, since their arrival at the Center, that many are dealing with tuberculosis and hepatitis. Fortunately,

“The mothers and the bab[ies] are healthy.”

Dr. Carol Noon, Save the Chimps Director, on their trip from New Mexico:

“When they arrived, I got on the truck and they were all yawning because when they’re on a road trip, they like to stay up late and … look out the window, so when they get here they sleep most of the next day.”

The transfers take quite a bit of time and energy on behalf of the staff as well as the chimps. Social/family groups are formed prior to any moves. Originally estimated to be in 2008, Noon now estimates the completion of the facility to occur mid-2009.

(photo courtesy of Save the Chimps)

The privately funded facility houses 12 separate islands where the chimps have access to indoor and outdoor enclosures. Kudos to Dr. Noon and her staff for creating such a large and amazing facility. I look forward to reading more updates and seeing their Observational Learning Center open up research possibilities and public awareness:

“Our Observational Learning Center will serve to cut through the fog of misunderstanding about this noble, endangered species that is our closest genetic cousin. Participants will gain close insight into the societal structure that chimpanzees create for themselves when allowed to live free of harm’s way. With a television monitor system, people can watch the chimps in their habitat without intruding on their lifestyle.”

ESI = var (Fm/Fc)/[mean(Fm/Fc){1 – mean(Fm/Fc)}]

Fm = the number of females in maximal swelling
Fc = the number of cycling females

In short, the group of chimpanzees studied exhibited asynchronous estrus cycles.

While some animals synchronize reproductive cycles to benefit from typical things like the wet season (abundance of food), safety in numbers, alloparenting, etc., chimps are cycling at different times to potentially benefit from a reduction in female-female mate competition and a reduction in male sexual coercion.

“Synchrony avoidance may therefore represent a tactic that permits a female to exercise limited choice for high-ranking males, rather than mating the first male that encounters and coerces her.”

It’s an interesting and seemingly appropriate find given the social structure of chimpanzee groups. I wonder what else there is to it… is there any rhyme or reason amongst the asynchrony? Are dominant females cycling so that they give birth when environmental conditions are at their best?