You will help with long-term monitoring of social behavior, ecology, and endocrinology of wild Sykes and Blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis albogularis/stuhlmanni) in Kenya. Currently, we are working with three well habituated social groups at two field sites: Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya, and Gede Ruins in Coastal Province. Volunteers will participate in some of the following tasks:

• recording of social and feeding behavior,
• monitoring and mapping group movements,
• collection and pre-processing of fecal samples,
• data compilation and entry.

A typical day consists of about 8-10 hours of field work. We start tracking monkeys early in the morning shortly after sunrise, and end the day shortly before sunset, including a two-hour break during noon. However, schedules will differ quite a bit depending on your particular responsibilities. Groups can sometimes be difficult to find, and to locate individual females can be outright frustrating. Once located, individual females will be followed to collect behavioral data and fecal samples. You will be able to use a dense system of trails, but expect to do a fair amount of bushwhacking as well!

This is an ideal position for someone who wants to gain field experience in preparation for a graduate program in anthropology, ecology, or conservation biology. You will learn various field methods relevant for the study of animal behavior, behavioral ecology, and field endocrinology. The training period is about 1-2 months, where you will learn to distinguish individual females by their physical appearance,become familiar with the behavioral repertoire, and make records using standardized methodology. If you want to assess your talent for detecting subtle differences in facial features of the monkeys, you can try our challenging monkey quiz.

Ideally, you should have prior experience with living or working in a foreign country, preferrably a developing country and/or in the tropics. Furthermore, you should have experience with collecting systematic data in a scientific context, and have a strong interest in primate behavior and ecology.

In general, applicants should:
- be in good physical and mental condition,
- feel comfortable being far away from family and friends (with limited opportunities to communicate with the outside world),
- be emotionally mature, friendly, energetic, and very patient,
- have excellent attention to detail,
- not be afraid of bugs and snakes,
- have very good social skills,
- be able to maintain a positive attitude towards hard and tiring work.

No funding can be provided at this time. Applicants should be fully prepared to cover all their travel and living expenses, insurance, and other costs. Research permit fees ($100) will be refunded after successful completion of a one year commitment only!

There are various option available at each site with regards to accomodation, depending on your preferences and budget. Some options are listed below:

Gede Field Site (please add an estimated $100-150 per month for local transport and personal expenses)

• Mwamba Field Station: $10/day (shared double rooms), includes all meals
• Watamu Village: Villa Veronica or similar lodging: $7/day
• Rented House in Timboni: variable, around $50/month

Kakamega Forest, Isecheno Forest Station

• Guest House: $5/day, basic double rooms with solar lights, self-contained, simple kitchen facilities
• Bandas: $10/day, traditional mud-house, thatched roof, separate (shared) bathrooms
• Rented House in Village (if available): $10-20/month, mud-houses with iron roofs, very basic, no running water, no electricity, outdoor "bathrooms"

Food is generally cheap in Kenya, and $1 or 2 per day can be enough when solely living on local staple foods. Western food is available everywhere as well, for much higher prices. In Western Kenya, staple food consists of Ugali (boiled corn/maize meal paste) with a variety of vegetables (or meat if you wish). The coast offers some more variety with rice based dishes, chapati (wheat flour pancakes), and a softer form of Ugali.

• typhoid,
• yellow fever,
• hepatitis A+B

Malaria is common at both field sites. The predominant type is M. falciparum, which can be deadly if not treated in time. There is an increasing amount of resistance against many of the common antimalaria drugs, including Lariam (mefloquine hydrochloride) and Malarone (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride). As prophylaxis treatments using these drugs can be expensive when taken for many months (and be associated with severe side effects), you need to be aware that they do not offer complete protection. In most cases, malaria can be effectively treated with Artenam (B-Artemether), a drug that is based on a Chinese herb and has been in use for several years throughout Eastern Africa. It is nearly 100% effective when used properly, has no known side effects, and is cheap (although prices are going to increase with a recent rise in demand as it has been promoted internationally as the new wonder drug to fight malaria). You can obtain more information about malaria prevention and alternatives here and on many other websites. Volunteers are responsible for themselves and should make an informed decision about the pros and cons of the different options. If you need further help with this decision, please contact me.

Volunteers should obtain a travel health insurance. Please be aware that normal travel insurances are often valid only for a short period, so you may need to obtain extra coverage.

Depending on your home country, you may either obtain a tourist visa at the port of entry, or apply for a visa at a Kenyan embassy in advance of your travel. You can find out what rule applies to you on the Kenyan embassy website. A 3-month tourist visa currently is $50. These can be extended in the country for an additional fee, for another 3 months. If you plan to stay longer than 6 months, you will need to pay for a pupils pass that we obtain for you, which is an additional $75 and valid for one full year.

There is a wealth of information available about Kenya, both online and in printed media. It is recommended that you obtain a recent guidebook. One that is very recommended is the "Rough Guide Kenya".