Volunteer Field Research Assistant for PhD research in to Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Rescued Primates

Primate Release Programme – Diani, Kenya

Job Description: 4 x Volunteer Field Research Assistant

Background Information and Position Description

The Colobus Trust, Kenya, facilitates the rescue and rehabilitation of confiscated, orphaned and injured animals and where feasible their return to the wild. It is from this base I am conducting my PhD data collection and require 4 field assistants to assist in this process.

In September 2011, data collection will begin. One research assistant is required to collect comparative and baseline data on the wild Sykes and vervet troops in Diani. The study troops have already been selected and habituated and are waiting a dedicated volunteer to collect behavioural and feeding ecology data over an 18 month period.  A second research assistant is required to collect data on the primates scheduled for release, both pre-release while still captive and once released. Once released each troop of primates will be monitored daily for 12 months by a research team, collecting twice daily census information, behavioural focal follows, including feeding ecology and recording all wildlife interactions.

The release programme is based in Diani, Kenya and offers a unique opportunity to live in a beautiful beach and forested area, with many western comforts. Our accommodation has been kindly supplied by The Colobus Trust, and comprises unisex bedrooms in a communal house, hot/cold showers, 3 meals a day, laundry and housekeeping. There is good mobile phone and internet coverage, and using Sarfricom, the local network supplier, text messages to the UK are very cheap (approx 8p). This accommodation is also used for the Colobus Trust volunteer programme, and as such there may be up to 8 people sharing the facilities at any one time. Many of the volunteers on this programme are not serious researches and as such will be performing different duties and working different hours. Any researcher accepting this position needs to be aware of these differences.

Field time will be scheduled as 6 days a week, working 8-12 hours per day. Data collection periods will rotate between 6am-12noon and 12noon-6pm (4 days per week) allowing 1-2 hours a day for travel to and from the research site, phenology work, reliability tests and inputting the data, on a daily basis, on to the database. Full day follows, 6am-6pm will be conducted 2 days per week, Holidays will be formulated dependant on your terms of commitment, but will be loosely based around 4 week’s holiday per year. As this data is going to be used as baseline information for a PhD thesis, researchers are not permitted to take the data away, nor use it for any form of personal analysis.

This is a volunteer position and as such no wage or stipend is currently available. The volunteer is responsible for their return flight to Mombasa, visa, which will need extending after 3 months for an additional 3 months, comprehensive travel and medical insurance, food and accommodation as mentioned above (approx 70 Euros per week, eating a local food diet), all field clothing, including adequate walking boots. Please note that if funding applications are successful then the project will cover all food and accommodation cost – however, no funding is currently secured.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential requirements

Experience of working on a scientific research project, collecting and working systematically with data, ideally an observational/behavioural projectSignificant foreign travel or living/work experience, within a developing country and ideally the tropicsInterest in animal behaviour, conservation and welfare, and preferably a university level qualification in animal behaviour, primate conservation, zoology or other relevant subjectThere are 4 positions available, each looking for a six month long commitment. However, consideration will be given to candidates looking for a shorter commitment period, although a minimum of 3 months is required.

In addition, applicants must have certain QUALITIES: they must be energetic, patient, open, responsible, flexible, healthy, able to work independently but also as part of a team, be highly motivated and not easily distracted by the holiday mentality found here in Diani. Applicants must also be hardworking and able to keep going, and do so cheerfully! Our schedule is demanding and unconventional (6 days work, 1 day off), up to 12 hrs field time per day and no guarantee of getting lunch, but monkeys permitting we try our best. The position is not ideal for someone who needs a lot of personal time, or for someone who easily feels lonely. The ideal applicant must be comfortable being unplugged and a distance from easy communication with the outside world, although there is good mobile phone and e-mail communication, but sometimes things just don't work. They must also have above average resistance to social/psychological stress with a tolerance towards local customs and beliefs and be comfortable with other conditions and risks that are simply part of tropical fieldwork, such as limited healthcare, monotonous diet, rare confrontations with noxious plants or animals. This is very intense work - if your main goal is not gaining scientific research experience, you will probably not be happy in this position.

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