mercredi 31 mai 2017

Research Assistant: Asian Elephant Behavioural Field Study

Hiring Organization: Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology Sydney Date posted: 2017 - 05 - 03 Position Description: We are looking for a research assistant to help run a pilot study on the behaviour of semi - wild Asian elephants in a forest sanctuary in northern Thailand. There is a family of elephants that are free - living in a native forest. We are looking for someone to observe and document the day - to - day behaviour of t hese elephants. The research assistant will be responsible for the following tasks: 1. Identifying individuals 2. Collecting behavioural data 3. Recording behavioural data 4. Developing a comprehensive ethogram 5. Photographing/recording the elephants 6. Data entry and data back - up Field work is scheduled to begin in July (flexible start date) . The research assistant must be able to commit to at least 2 months. Qualification/Experience: 1. A strong background in animal behaviour , biology, zoology, psychology, animal welfare, veterinary studies, conservation, or a related field. 2 . Experience traveling or living in southeast Asia (ideal but not required) 4. The ability to work both independently and as part of a multi - cultural tea m 5. Physically healthy and capable of working in a hot, tropical climate 6. The ability to hike fairly steep terrain for an extended period of time 7 . Motivated & responsible with a sense of humor 8 . The ability to trouble - shoot problems 9 . Prior experience doing fieldwork in animal behavior is a big plus, but not required depending upon other qualifications Location: Remote village/forest in northern Thailand. Salary/funding: No salary is provided; however, accommodation is provided. We are also able to offer a contribution towards airfare. Depending upon where the research assistant is coming from, roundtrip airfare may be fully covered. The field site is in a remot e village in northern Thailand. The accommodation is very basic but clean and comfortable. Toilets are mostly western but some are Asian bucket - style. The showers are a traditional bucket shower with no hot water. The field assistant is responsible f or obtaining medical insurance. The successful candidate wi ll be required to regularly camp in the forest. You will always be accompanied by others when camping. This is an excellent opportunity for Masters or experienced Bachelors students who are interested in continuing on a career in animal behaviour , animal welfare, and/ or conservation. If approved by the project PIs, it may be possible for the student to use some of the data collected for a thesis or to contribute to publications. For information about graduate/postgraduate research opportunities at the Ce ntre for Compa ssionate Conservation see here: http://www.uts.edu.au/research - and - teaching/our - research/centre - compassionate - conservation . Term of Appointment : 2 - 3 months starting in early July ; somewhat flexible . Application Deadline: June 10, 2017 Comments: Please submit your CV, a cover letter outlining your interests, motivation for applying, relevant experiences, and the names and contact information for two references. Please email this information to ba kerliv@gmail.com by June 10, 2017. Applications will be evaluated as they are received until the position is filled. Contact information: Dr. Liv Baker University of Technology Sydney Sydney, Australia Email address: bakerliv@gmail.com