Two Research Assistants Needed for Gelada Monkey Research in the Ethiopian Highlands
Hiring Organization:
Dr. Peter Fashing (Pittsburgh Zoo & Carnegie Mellon University) & Dr. Nga Nguyen (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo & Case Western Reserve University)
Date Posted:
2008-02-17
Position Description:
Two field assistants are needed for a study of the behavior, ecology, endocrinology, and conservation of gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) at a remote, semi-permanent field site in north-central Ethiopia called Guassa. The study is being carried out by Dr. Peter Fashing and Dr. Nga Nguyen. The field assistants will be responsible for (a) collecting basic demographic and reproductive data as part of routine monitoring of the well-habituated study population, (b) conducting focal animal samples and collecting fecal samples from individually-recognized geladas (for later laboratory steroid hormone analysis in Cleveland), (c) recording GPS readings of gelada ranging locations, as well as (d) conducting vegetation monitoring and (e) walking census transects. The two field assistants will share a camp and research responsibilities while at Guassa.
The study area consists of 111 square kilometers of hilly Afro-alpine grassland situated at 3,200-3,600 meters above sea level along the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands and affords spectacular views out over the Great Rift Valley nearly a mile below. A number of animals endemic to the Ethiopian highlands occur at Guassa including geladas and the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf, Canis simensis, the world’s rarest canid. The gelada population at Guassa has been studied on a near daily basis since 2006 and most individuals in the main 250-member study band are now habituated to observers at distances of several meters.
Upon completion of the fieldwork, the successful applicant (depending on interest) may also have the opportunity to intern at Dr. Nguyen's wildlife endocrinology laboratory at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, OH where they can continue the training in gelada behavioral endocrinology begun in the field with the collection and extraction of wild gelada fecal samples.
For further details and photos of the field site, click on the "Research" and "Fieldwork Photos" links at the following website:
http://mysite.verizon.net/gelada/home.html
Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should have a B.S. or B.A in Biology, Biological Anthropology, or a related field. Good physical fitness and a willingness to walk long distances (6-12 km) each day are essential to working at Guassa where the terrain is hilly, the air thin (due to the high elevation), and the geladas wide-ranging. Experience with winter camping and life in cold climates preferred since the successful applicants will be living in (spacious) tents at a location where nights are sometimes below freezing (as low as 19F though 33-36F is more typical) and days are often chilly (45-60F) and windy (5-30 mph) as well. Our campsite is situated on an isolated patch of pristine Afro-alpine grassland far from human habitation and applicants must be highly self-sufficient (the nearest town, Mehal Meda, is 22 kilometers away from camp, we do not own a vehicle, and contact with other English-speakers is rare). Field assistants will live in a semi-permanent campsite with 2 Ethiopian staff with limited English language skills. Prior travel and/or field experience in Africa or mountainous regions of Asia or South America preferred. Applicants must be fluent in English and be willing to learn Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia).
Salary/funding:
None
Support
provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
Research assistants will be provided with basic accommodation, food and other basic supplies while at the field site. However, applicants must pay their own international travel to Addis Ababa (~ $1,500 from the USA) and any additional travel-related expenses incurred while traveling between Addis and the field site (once every two-three months, ~$100/trip), and luxury food items such as chocolates, cookies and canned tuna which may be purchased in Addis. Our semi-permanent camp is remote but comfortable, with large walk-in tents, beds, solar electricity to power a small freezer, lights and a laptop computer, mobile telephone service for receiving calls from abroad and making calls within Ethiopia, satellite telephone for emergencies, and email by satellite modem twice a week.
Term of Appointment:
12 months beginning on or around 15 May 2008
Application Deadline:
Position will remain open until filled
Comments:
Via email, please submit a one-page letter of interest stating how and why this position satisfies your interest and future career goals, a CV, and contact information for at least two references.
Contact
Information:
Peter Fashing
Dept. of Science & Conservation, Pittsburgh Zoo, One Wild Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
USA
Telephone Number:
(412)-365-2569
Fax Number:
(412)-365-2508
Website:
http://http://mysite.verizon.net/gelada/home.html
E-mail Address:
peterfashing@gmail.com
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