Fallback food foraging skills for survival: capuchins in captive release and wild habitats

Our research project aims to contribute to capuchin monkey conservation in Brazil. These monkeys are struggling due to the loss of their natural habitats and the illegal pet trade. We are looking at how they use fallback foods (FBF) — things they eat when their usual food isn’t available — to survive. We will map where these foods are, study how capuchins find and eat them in the wild, and observe how capuchins in rescue centers use these foods. By doing this, we hope to learn how to protect capuchins better and make sure they can find enough to eat, both in the wild and when they’re released back into nature after being rescued. This project will contribute to the developing partnership between primatologists Dr. Sarah Turner in Canada and Dr. Renata Ferriera in Brazil. It is expected to yield a series of peer-reviewed publications that will showcase the joint expertise and research findings of both teams, fostering an international exchange of knowledge and methodologies in primatology and conservation science.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sarah Turner

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Concordia University

Program: