Hiring Organization:
Projet Grands Singes (PGS), Centre for Research and Conservation (CRC) of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Belgium.
Date Posted:
2011-07-27
Position Description:
Context
The majority of populations of great apes lie outside the boundaries of protected areas in Africa, while most conversation and research projects work within National Parks and Reserves. PGS recognises this important gap in great ape protection and sees the necessity of working with local communities and logging companies with the objective of ensuring regulated and sustainable use of natural resources for long-term realistic conservation of forests and wildlife. PGS therefore works in a non-protected area of forest, which is fiercely hunted by local people and lies within the concessions of a logging company. Therefore, the reality of conservation and research attempts in this area involves many difficulties, including the poverty of villagers. PGS works very closely with rural communities and provides developmental aid as a way of creating alternatives to hunting, and gives value to great apes through the revenue generated by scientific tourism. PGS exploits this by providing facilities for researchers, students and volunteers to come and work within the PGS area of interest while simultaneously providing revenue and employment for local peoples, in return for the local protection of great apes.
Location
PGS works in Cameroon, Central Africa, in the village communities and the forest at the northern periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve (DBR), Haut Nyong, southeastern Cameroon. The forest research site is approximately 10 km from the villages where PGS carries out its rural development projects, and these villages are 5 hr by car from Yaoundé. It is in the transition zone of the Atlantic coastal rainforests of southern Nigeria and south-west Cameroon, and the evergreen forests of Equatorial Guinea and the Congo Basin. Annual rainfall averages 1570 mm and falls during two wet seasons, March to June and September to November. There is an equatorial type climate and the temperature remains almost constant during the year, averaging 23.3 °C (recorded at 640 m). August is the coolest month, with a mean monthly minimum of 18 °C and maximum of 27 °C, and April is the hottest with mean minimum temperature of 19 °C and maximum of 30 °C.
Animals present in this area include: western lowland gorilla, central chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkey, mandrill and drill, and many other primate species; elephant, buffalo, sitatunga, giant pangolin and leopard.
Duties
Working as a research assistant in the forest will involve walking daily on transects within the forest research site and gathering information on great ape socio-ecology, diet, ranging patterns, nest-building behaviour, etc, depending on the current line of research. Possible future studies include the impacts of commercial logging and its associated problems on great ape populations; hunting/poaching surveys. There are also opportunities to work at the village level, being involved with development projects, training and workshops, mammal inventories, socio-economic surveys, educational and sensitisation programmes, wildlife-law awareness-raising, etc.
The successful candidate will be provided with necessary research equipment and will be expected to follow certain protocols when collecting information in the forest or village. You will be accompanied at all times by a trained and knowledgeable local guide, Cameroonian or international researcher, or member of the PGS team. It is estimated that you will spend 2 or 3 weeks in the field each month and 1 or 2 weeks in Yaoundé, to work on data entry, analysis and report-writing, though this is flexible.
The field worker is welcome to propose his/her own research/study idea, or to assist in any ongoing projects in the field, dependant on the needs, current activities and budget of the project. Specifics will be arranged on arrival.
Facilities
The forest research camp is basic with minimal solar power for lights and a laptop, a gas stove, bucket shower and long-drop latrine, and simple raffia shelters for the kitchen/living area and laboratory. In the village, the field worker will sleep in his/her tent, but can use the gas stove in the PGS house and the nearby bucket shower and long-drop latrine. While in Yaoundé the field worker will stay at the PGS apartment where they can use all facilities when available (including hot running water and wireless internet).
Qualifications/Experience:
Requirements
An interest in conservation or research of great apes or other wildlife and/or rural development and socio-economics is necessary. Physical fitness and tolerance of tough conditions is an advantage. Knowledge of French, a grounding in scientific methodology and an experience of living and working in Central Africa would be hugely beneficial. The volunteer will be expected to spend some field missions in the research camp alone, possibly within 3 months of arrival, with no other researcher present and with local guides and cooks to manage, etc. It is therefore important to be comfortable with living in isolation for weeks at a time while maintaining high spirits and professionalism.
Salary/funding:
Funding
No stipend can be offered, and the successful candidate will be expected to cover his/her flight (approx. €800 from Europe) and visa (approx. €100), as well as all other costs related to their travel (ie, insurance, vaccinations, etc) and should bring a tent, sleeping bag and personal items required for living in the forest/village. The field worker must also contribute 5,000 CFA (~€8) per night to stay in the PGS apartment when spending time in Yaoundé, and for this has unlimited use of the facilities when available (hot water, washing machine, internet, etc) (this amount also contains a contribution to development and conservation activities). Food and drink is not supplied. Field worker must buy their own food prior to each entry into the forest. Finally, the field worker must cover the costs of research permits (usually not exceeding €300).
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
PGS will arrange all official papers required for working in Cameroon and for obtaining a visa and will cover all in-country transport costs. Necessary equipment for working in the forest, and the presence of a trained and experienced local guide is arranged by the project. There is no fee for staying in the research camp or project village base.
Term of Appointment:
Duration This position is for a minimum of 12 months, though can be arranged for a longer period. Position is available from late 2011, though exact dates can be arranged to suit.
Application Deadline:
For more information, interested candidates should write to Nikki.tagg@kmda.org with a cover letter and CV before 15 September 2011.
Contact Information:
Nikki Tagg
Rue 1.859
Yaounde BP 5619
Cameroon
Telephone Number:
0023775088447
Fax Number:
0023722213035
Website:
http://zooresearch.be/?lang=EN
E-mail Address:
Nikki.tagg@kmda.org