Chacma Baboon Study in South Africa

This project is looking for several volunteer field assistants to help with long-term monitoring of social behaviour, feeding ecology, stress responses and parasite infections in wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa.

Primary responsibilities will be the collection of behavioural and demographic data, monitoring of group movements and human-baboon interactions, collection and processing of samples for hormonal analyses, and data entry/management.

This is an ideal position for someone who wants to gain field experience in preparation for a graduate program in behavioural ecology, animal behaviour, or related fields.

New volunteers are accepted on a rolling basis at any time of year. A minimum commitment of 6 months is preferred, but shorter stays will be considered on a case by case basis.

Accommodation in shared housing close to the field site is partly paid by the project; remaining contributions are about £120 per month per person. Volunteers need to cover their own food expenses.

A full project description, including the contact details and application instructions, is given within the member's area of our website.