Training Program: Primate Monitoring
Quick Facts
- Start Dates: May 30 or June 13
- Minimum Commitment: 4 weeks (in special cases we will consider 3 weeks)
- Location: Los Amigos Conservation Hub, Peru
- Application Deadline: April 1, 2021
- Program Fee: $1800 for 4 weeks; $450 each additional week (includes food and lodging, transportation to the field station from Puerto Maldonado and back, training and use of field equipment).
- Pandemic Contingencies: If this program is cancelled by FPI for issues beyond our control, all fees paid will be refunded, minus a 1.5% credit card processing fee. More info in the FAQ below.
Program Overview and History
Since 2009, the smallest rainforest primates at EBLA have been monitored in a unique long-term program spanning 17 social groups, over 200 unique animals, and two species: the saddleback tamarin (Leontocebus weddelli) and the emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator). At the EBLA, they coexist with 9 other primates, each in its own genus. Although it began with a study of genetic chimerism, this monitoring program has expanded to include studies on health, communication, reproduction, behavior, and movement. It integrates several tools in a conservationists’ toolbox – from field genomics to miniaturized GPS tracking – in order to get a complete picture of the biology of these mammals, which is critical to their protection across South America.
This year, this program will encompass three main research themes:
- Annual tamarin health screening
- Reproductive biology in the context of cooperative breeding
- Movement ecology in the context of three, rather than two, dimensions.
Left: Saguinus imperator, Right: Leontocebus weddelli (Photos by Ishaan Raghunandan)
The Annual Tamarin Health Survey
Each year, we conduct a comprehensive health screening of each tamarin in the study population of ~15 groups. (The only year we have ever missed since 2009 is 2020!) Our primate mark-recapture program at this site is unique in that it does not disturb habituation to the observer. Groups voluntarily enter baited traps placed in locations never revealed to the public. We do not coerce them in any way or tranquilize them using darts. Once captured, each group is processed as a whole using safe, verified protocols and released directly at the capture site on the same day within a few hours of capture. Each animal receives a health check, including dental screening, and samples are collected for mercury testing, disease screening, and genotyping for relatedness to other individuals. In addition to the invaluable information gleaned about the health of these primate populations, we are also able to provide each group with GPS collars (see Conservation Technology program), and each individual with a temporary ID tag that drops off within a couple of months.
This unique training program provides a singular opportunity for individuals with an interest in wildlife monitoring, zoology, or veterinary science to gain practical skills and experience that are not easy to come by.
All of this work is sanctioned by the Amazon Conservation Association, the Animal Care Committee of Washington University in St. Louis, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Perú.
Tamarin Reproductive Biology
Reproductive variation is the currency of evolution, with individuals who produce more offspring having higher chances of passing on particular characteristics. But what determines who can reproduce, and why do we see reproduction regularly skewed toward particular individuals? In tamarins and other callitrichine primates, these questions are particularly perplexing because, while multiple females may live in a group, reproductive success is generally limited to a single primary breeding female. This female gives birth to twins that are cared for by other members of the group (termed cooperative breeding). However, most notably, the other females in the group almost never reproduce.
Captive studies suggest that this suppression of reproduction occurs via physiological means, where secondary females experience delayed development or temporary pauses in ovarian cycling in response to the sight or scent of the primary breeding female or in groups where the only available breeding males are closely related. In the wild, though, the story is far more complex and intriguing.
Group members are more widely dispersed and their home ranges overlap extensively with other groups, and contrary to what’s been found in captivity, the few studies on wild female reproductive physiology show that secondary breeders are experiencing regular ovarian cycles. Nevertheless, some of them still do not reproduce, and the system of a single primary breeding female remains in most groups. At EBLA, we find saddleback tamarins occasionally form groups with multiple breeding females, but emperor tamarins never do.
What is happening in these natural systems? Through what behavioral or physiological mechanisms does this extreme variation in female reproductive success persist, and why? Answering these questions is key to understanding not only the basic dynamics of callitrichine reproduction, but the fundamental element driving callitrichine evolution.
To this end, this project uses the following field biology methods to answer these questions. We will:
- Assist with the annual mark-recapture program for 15+ groups across 2 tamarin species.
- Collect biological samples from these animals for endocrinology (hormone studies) to investigate female reproductive physiology
- Track wild primates to record behavior and monitor their hormone levels
- Record behavior to investigate the dynamics between females within and between groups
Tamarin Movement Ecology
Social groups function by sticking together, so one of their most basic functions is to make collective decisions about where to go and how to get there. This is an area that combines two highly active fields of research: movement ecology and social behavior. By stitching them together, we hope to understand how social dynamics influence (and are influenced by) group movement.
Traditionally, primatologists have studied movement ecology by following primate groups and directly observing their behavior. For small primates like tamarins, this is still the main way we get information on movement. It’s challenging work due to their small size and highly arboreal habits, but it’s the only way to get data on feeding, social behavior, predation, and other ecologically and evolutionarily significant events.
GPS Tracking
In the past, we’ve collected spatial information from handheld GPS trackers, which give us a good sense for the group’s overall space use (home range size, distance traveled per day, etc.), but ultimately a handheld GPS unit tells you where the observer has gone, not where the animals have gone. Nevertheless, this has been the only way to get GPS data about these very small monkeys – until now.
Starting in 2021, we’re adding a GPS tracking protocol to our observation program. We’ve designed a tiny tracking device we call a Biscuit that can fit on a tamarin, and this year we plan to put it into operation. In combination with the behavioral data collection, the trackers will give us unprecedented detail on movement patterns, allowing us to track space use not only at the group level, but also at the individual level. We’ll be able to observe how individual movements contribute to the overall movement of the group.
In combination with high-resolution remote sensing data, the GPS tracks will also tell us about the tamarins’ microhabitat selection. We can now begin to ask questions about why tamarins are found in certain forest patches but not others, as well as what kinds of vegetation structure they prefer for high-value activities like sleeping and foraging.
This project uses the following methods to study movement ecology. We will:
- Use radiotelemetry to locate a group’s sleep tree at the end and beginning of each day
- Track tamarin groups from sleep trees via full and half-day follows
- Spend most of our time off trail, moving through thick vegetation and over any hills and ravines the monkeys might take us through.
- Use custom-built GPS collars to track several individuals in each group, and validate the accuracy of these data with traditional GPS monitoring
- Use a LoRa communications network to collate all automated GPS locations for animals to monitor all 15 groups simultaneously.
Training and Skills
By the end of this program, you will have gained a number of skills essential to the study of animal behavior (especially primates) and non-invasive hormone monitoring. These include the ability to:
Tamarin Handling:
- Conduct a primate handling session including blood draws, morphometric monitoring, monitoring of animals under anesthesia, and safe release
- Appropriately restrain and handle wild primates with proper technique and PPE
- Record data on animal weight, TPRs (temperature, pulse and respiration), injuries, dentition, and much more.
- Collect biological samples such as feces, urine, hair and blood from each animal
- Construct and organize animal processing kits and in-situ animal processing tents
- Determine sex and appropriate age of individuals by morphological characters
Tamarin Tracking:
- Identify primate species by sight and sound
- Comfortably and safely work and move on and off trail systems in a Neotropical rainforest
- Track primates by sight, sound, radio telemetry, and GPS devices
- Conduct full-day behavioral follows of wild primates using focal, scan, and ad-libitum data sampling methods recorded on Animal Observer software
Tamarin Reproductive Biology:
- Collect and process field-collected fecal and urine samples, including steroid hormone extractions in a field laboratory
- Store and process biological samples for downstream analyses of parasitology and reproductive physiology
Data Analysis:
- Clean and organize data for a relational database system
- Organize and project spatial data in QGIS and Garmin BaseCamp
- (Optional): write analytic software in R
- (Optional): analyze spatial data in QGIS
Research assistants will also have the opportunity to contribute to publications that result from this research. As with other FPI projects, we do not give co-authorship for collecting data alone, but we do welcome students interested in data analyses for potential future publications.
We are currently recruiting participants with the following requirements. If you are uncertain if you are eligible, don’t rule out the program – please contact us to confirm first!
Minimum Requirements:
- You must be at least 18 years of age by the time the training program begins (no upper age-limit)
- A letter of recommendation from a source that can substantiate the participant’s experience and skills
- A vaccine to COVID-19 (see FAQ below for details)
- Participants must be in good physical condition, with the capability to walk 4 miles a day
- Due to the nature of the work and weather constraints, participants must be willing to be flexible about their weekly and daily schedules
Preferred Skills:
- Participants must demonstrate a grounding or strong interest in animal monitoring and biology
- Previous field experience is not required, but previous behavioral research experience is a plus
- Participants will not be discriminated against for medical conditions they might have, if we determine that being on this project will not pose an immediate risk to their health
- Participants must be willing to maintain long hours in the field, and return to complete data entry in the evenings.
- Sometimes we wait and are unsuccessful – this is the nature of the work. Participants must demonstrate patience
- Participants must be reliable – when a team is assigned to work with a group of animals, days of planning go into the execution of the protocol. Carelessness and tardiness on the part of the participant could jeopardize the entire project.
- Participants must exhibit a willingness to adjust your schedule to primate daily activity patterns. This can require waking up early, sometimes by 4 or 5 am, and going to bed early, 8 or 9 pm.
Who Should Join our Field Team?
- Those with a strong interest in primates, including those in anthropology or biology fields of study
- Those who want handling experience but also experience tracking wild primates
- Those who want to work on a modern program with significant improvements in various conservation technologies.
The People Involved
The primate monitoring program was initiated by Dr. Mrinalini Watsa with a primary interest in studying genetic chimerism and reproductive biology for her doctoral dissertation. In 2012, Dr. Gideon Erkenswick formally joined the effort to study tamarin parasite ecology, also for his doctoral dissertation.
For 2021, Rachel Voyt from the University of Texas at Austin will be leading investigations into tamarin reproductive biology, while Gustav Steinhardt will head investigations into tamarin movement ecology using customized GPS technology in collaboration with Ishaan Raghunandan.
Apart from principal investigators, field managers, and research assistants, this program also includes wildlife veterinarians. In recent years, these have included Drs. Jesus Lescano, Ana Peralta, Giancarlo Inga, and KC Hill. Combined, our team has decades of direct experience working with tropical wildlife and conducting behavioral research.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Apply online here. You will need a CV/resume and two references.
2. Once we hear from your references, we will schedule an interview with the principal investigator of your desired project
3. If accepted, you will be notified within 1 week
4. Upon acceptance, gain student access to online training modules to get prepared before you arrive.
5. Turn in medical info, vaccination record, liability waivers, etc.
6. See you in the field!
While it is impossible to predict how the global pandemic will continue to unfold, we were able to safely conduct our programs in 2021, 2022, and fully expect to do so again in 2023. However, we do ask that all participants, upon acceptance into the program, check with us before purchasing airline tickets.
*If a program postponement occurs and a participant could no longer join on the revised dates, we would refund all fees paid up to that point, minus a 1.5% credit card processing fee. Similarly, if FPI must cancel a program completely for any reason, we will refund participant fees.
Learn more about FPI and COVID-19 HERE
If FPI cancels a program due to complications related to COVID-19, participants would receive all but 1.5% of fees already paid. The 1.5% represents the credit processing fees charged to FPI for accepting online payments.
Our cancellation policy is:
- 30 days or more before your start date: 45% refunded
- Less than 30 days from your start date: no refund is possible
Our cancellation policy specific to COVID-19:
- Before May 1st, if you cancel for a COVID-19 related reason, you will get all payments refunded, minus a 1.5% credit processing fee.
- After May 1st, FPI will have paid a large portion of your program fees to our field station partners, who provide your accommodations and meals the entire time you are on site. This means that those withdrawing due to COVID-19 after May 1st will be refunded all fees paid minus 6.5%. This portion is retained solely to cover our own credit processing fees, as well as the bank fees incurred by our partners at the Los Amigos Conservation Hub in Peru.
Yes, but it would have to be approved by your university, who will also bill you for the credit hours. If approved, there is also an additional $250 fee that serves as an honorarium for the FPI senior scientist mentoring you through this project. From there, it is just a matter of coordinating between your university mentor and the FPI researcher.
In order to train our research teams, it is necessary that everyone arrives on specific start dates and be trained together to stay on pace with their cohort.
In addition, we arrange to meet arriving groups at the airport, escort them to get COVID tested in Puerto Maldonado, and pick up any last-minute supplies before leaving very early the following morning to the field station. Getting to the field station requires travel overland to a small town called Laberinto (~45 minutes), then a 5-6 hour boat ride upriver. All of this would be difficult for most participants to do alone, which is why we ask that you arrive on fixed program start dates.
If you REALLY cannot make a particular start date, don’t abandon hope – email us and we can do our best to accommodate you.
There are pretty firm minimum requirements for each long-term research training program (typically 5 weeks). These are firm because each participant must be trained, during which time the data they collect cannot be relied upon entirely.
On the other hand, for most programs you are welcome to apply for stays that are longer than the minimum period, which is common among our student researchers. This can be arranged beforehand, or even sometimes in the field if accommodation is available at the field station.
If you have a special circumstance and want to request a shorter program time, you may contact us and we will discuss it with the lead investigators on your chosen project. There is no guarantee, but in the past we have been able to accommodate on occasion.
Our courses have fewer enrollment requirements, and we strongly encourage anyone to apply. The long-term programs involve becoming an integral part of a research team, and thus are more competitive.
You absolutely can apply to both a field course and a long-term training program if the dates will line up! In fact, if you are accepted into the long-term program you can attend a field course for a lower fee (typically a $400 discount)
No, you do not need previous research experience. These are training programs designed for participants at all levels. It can be hard to acquire field experience, so we balance our teams with veteran researchers and those new to the world of field research. We seek bright and enthusiastic candidates with the right temperament to work in this challenging environment.
The cost to participate includes:
- Lodging and all meals at the field station
- Specialized equipment and supplies necessary to conduct training and research activities.
Program fees do NOT include:
- Transportation to the field station from Puerto Maldonado
- staff will meet with you in Puerto Maldonado and guide you to the field station, but you will cover this cost (around $30) on your own
- Lodging and meals in Puerto Maldonado
- Health or travel insurance
- Required vaccinations
- Binoculars or other personal field equipment
A large majority of the fees paid to our training programs cover lodging fees charged by the host field station. Importantly, at the Los Amigos Biological Station lodging fees not only support the cost of running and maintaining a remote field site, but contribute to the larger mission of their parent NGO (Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Basin) to protect conservation areas, monitor deforestation, maintain wildlife corridors, and more.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
We are now able to offer a peer-to-peer fundraising program for research assistants. Once accepted, you would be able to (optionally) create a shareable profile on our platform. This is a team-based initiative, so half of your raised funds will go toward your own program fees, while the other half will go into pool to be split evenly among all program participants who had at least 5 donors. More details will be available during (and after) your interview.
Scholarships
We offer three scholarships to our programs & courses in field biology and conservation.
All Scholarships Cover:
- Meals and lodging at the field station
- Basic equipment required to attend the course (not including binocular/boots)
Scholarships Do Not Cover (unless specifically noted):
- Transportation to the local contact point.
- Binoculars, boots, basic medications, backpacks, or other personal items
- Vaccinations and medical insurance. All participants must provide proof of medical insurance before travel.
*Ensure you meet the qualifications for the scholarship you are applying for before submitting an application.
Other Options
If you require help with the cost of the program, there are other options that you might pursue as well. You could start by contacting the Office of Undergraduate Research of your school, or request professional development support from your employer. Here you can explore what is available through your college/place-of-work, as well as through external funding sources. Many universities have SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) programs, which may provide stipends for students to pursue independent research. Please note that if you do find any kind of research-related funding — as many RAs have in the past — it will need to be applied for in conjunction with us, on research projects that we approve. In this case, one of our principal investigators will consult with you about developing a project that is feasible.
All participants are required to show proof of medical insurance before joining us in the field. Many travel insurance providers can assist with emergency medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation. Be certain that COVID-19 is covered in your plan.
You will have to provide proof of a normal vaccination record (as listed here by the CDC). For travel to Peru, we require that you also get the following vaccines:
- Typhoid
- Yellow Fever
- Tetanus
- COVID-19 (no exceptions)
- Rabies pre-exposure series (only for those in programs involving wildlife handling of mammals.)
If you have the flu shot for the year, all the better. Find a travel clinic and get your shots EARLY.
A fully independent research project is not feasible in this program due to time constraints, as well as the fact that all research projects must be sanctioned by the field station, approved by an IRB/IACUC, and have the required permits from the relevant government agencies in Peru. All of our research projects have obtained the necessary approvals and permits, which cover the specific data we collect and how we use it.
That said, some candidates may have an opportunity to win a grant that will fund their program fees and travel, and that grant requires them to submit a research proposal. If this is your situation, we may be able to work with you on a proposal. You can contact us at info@fieldprojects.org and let us know your situation. Then after you officially apply to the program, you can discuss this in greater depth with one of our senior scientists.
We cannot accommodate completely independent projects, but we can assist you with finding a subset of our samples or data that has not yet been fully analyzed, which you could potentially develop further under our supervision.
Yes, you can. We do not give co-authorship for collecting data alone, but we offer interested students the opportunity to work on data analyses after the summer research program, that could lead to co-authorship in the future. Many of our former field team members have gone on to become research collaborators.
It is too early to predict any quarantine requirements that may be in place for those arriving in Peru. However, in 2021, the 14-day quarantine was permitted at each visitor’s final destination if they got there within 24 hours after landing in Lima. The field station where we work was permitted to serve as this site, since they meet all government-approved COVID protocols, and have the capacity to maintain social distance between all visitors.
Negative tests are not currently an official requirement for those arriving at the field station, but a strong recommendation. Researchers from different institutions and others who are not affiliated with FPI also use this field station, and while temperatures will be taken and screening questions will be asked of everyone, there is no guarantee that an asymptomatic or presymptomatic person won’t be present. This means that masks, social distancing, and other detailed protocols are especially important. In addition, this is why we require all participants to get vaccinated.
The first signs of suspected symptoms or a temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit should be reported immediately to the field station managers and FPI senior scientists. They will have protocols for isolating symptomatic guests, arranging viral testing, notifying those you have been in contact with, and evacuating you to the nearest hospital if necessary. (Note that travel to a hospital and any care there is at your own cost; make sure your insurance policy covers this.)
The nearest healthcare facilities are in Puerto Maldonado, which is approximately 4-5 hours downriver from our field site. In that city, our Peruvian partners have a recommended doctor certified by MINSA (the Ministry go Health). There are also other private and public healthcare options. The private facilities are more expensive (one of the reasons we require participants to have travel medical insurance), but they will likely be able to treat patients faster if public facilities are full.
The second option would be in Cusco, which is approximately 10 hours by car from Puerto Maldonado. There are more clinics in Cusco than Puerto Maldonado.
*While everyone will have their temperatures taken upon arrival by an infrared thermometer, we suggest that participants bring their own thermometers in their first-aid kits, and check themselves daily.
If a person must leave the field station to get treatment and recover from COVID-19, they will be permitted to return after 7 days with a negative antigen test. A negative molecular test will let someone back to the station after 14 days.
The field station’s safety protocols apply to everybody: staff, researchers, guests, and visitors. We do not yet know exactly what these will be in June 2023, but we can share some insight from 2021.
In 2021, every new person arriving at the field station met with the science director to go over the COVID-protocol with them personally, including the mandatory use of face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing. There are planned spaces equipped for maximum distance between people.
People living or traveling together in a group for more than 14 days were able to share the same table at the commissary and will be treated as a “grupo de aislamiento,” keeping distance from other guests or groups. Room service and/or separate seating at different tables will be arranged for all others.
The field station also practiced “cuarentena laboral.” This means that there were separate working areas, and everyone was expected to avoid using workspaces and equipment that was designated for other individuals or groups.
Our enhanced protocols in laboratory or wildlife handling situations are designed to meet or exceed scientific best practices. They are drafted in conjunction with our Peruvian partners (Conservacion Amazonica), Peruvian authorities (SERFOR) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) of our affiliate research universities. Broadly speaking, they will involve strict use of face shields, N95 masks, and gloves. Participants will receive detailed instructions on our procedures prior to departing for the field site.