Field Biology class Trip to Lion Country Safari

This week's honors field biology class, took a trip to Lion Country Safari to learn about chimpanzee research. Dr. Terry Wolf, Wildlife Director gave a great overview of the Chimpanzoo program that has been running at their zoo since 1984. This program is a great example of citizen science and relies on many volunteers to keep the research going.We had the pleasure of also meeting and learning the process with Bev Scott, the person in charge of training volunteers.

As stated on their website, the goals of the chimpanzee research are

• To increase public awareness about the plight of chimpanzees and to increase understanding of chimpanzee behavior.
• To assist zoos in their efforts to improve the habitats and conditions for captive chimpanzees.
• To facilitate the exchange of information on ways to enrich the lives of captive chimpanzees.

After the great learning experience, we were then treated to the drive through safari. Here are some pictures of the animals we encountered on safari.