PhD Research Project - Orangutan behavioural ecology in wild and captive settings

Tropical forest environments are mechanically very complex; they consist of a 3-D array of branches and vines that are flexible, irregular and discontinuous. Forests also vary constantly through seasonal change, growth and decay. They are therefore unpredictable and challenging habitats in which orangutans constantly need to use their intelligence to solve problems associated with travelling through the forest canopy; finding and processing food and building safe, comfortable nests (Thorpe and Crompton, 2006, Tecwyn et al, 2015). Nevertheless, there remain significant gaps in our knowledge about how young orangutans acquire these skills throughout their development and the extent to which skills acquisition is influenced by their opportunities for learning from other orangutans.

Moreover, the complexity of orangutans' natural environment creates substantial problems for zoos and sanctuaries to replicate the physical and mental challenges that wild orangutans face in their everyday lives, within their available enclosure space and budgets. A major challenge is that the musculo-skeletal system and the brain respond to the demands placed upon them during development, and young orangutans may not reach required stages of skills acquisition if these demands are absent during key developmental stages. The aims of this PhD are 1) to better understand the physical and cognitive demands of natural environments for wild orangutans and the processes by which relevant skills are acquired throughout ontogeny and 2) to apply the findings to captive environments to ensure that zoos and sanctuaries can meet the biological needs of the orangutans in their care. This project is a partnership between the University of Birmingham and Twycross zoo. The results will guide development of new ways to replicate natural habitats in zoo and sanctuary enclosures to improve the quality of life and conservation value of captive orangutans and to contribute towards the design of a new enclosure for Twycross Zoos orangutans.

This project has been co-developed with Twycross Zoo. Our shared aim is to generate new data on wild orangutans to better understand their natural behaviour and to translate those finding into improved conservation outcomes for orangutans in zoos and sanctuaries. Shared supervision will enhance the student's experience by embedding them in zoological research and its application to the life sciences industry. The results will be disseminated via the Great Ape Welfare group (an advisory body for UK zoos which Thorpe Chairs); via Tywcross Zoo's links to the international zoo community and via shared links to the orangutan sanctuary community.

We expect candidates to have a Merit or Distinction at MSc level in a relevant subject. Experience of collecting behavioural data on primates would also be an advantage, particularly on great apes under field conditions as this PhD includes prolonged field work. Some knowledge of biomechanics and/or cognitive research is beneficial but not essential.

See the Enclosure Design Tool we have created to help zoos and sanctuaries encourage their chimps and orangutans to use wild-type behaviours:
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/biosciences/research/showcase/enclosure-design-tool/index.aspx

Funding Notes

CENTA studentships are for 3.5 years and are funded by NERC. In addition to the full payment of their tuition fees, successful candidates will receive the following financial support:

• Annual stipend, set at £14,777 for 2018/19
• Research training support grant (RTSG) of £8,000

References

• van Casteren, A., Sellers, W. I., Thorpe, S. K. S., Coward, S., Crompton, R. H. & Ennos, A. R. (2012) Nest Building Orangutans Demonstrate Engineering Know-How to Produce Safe, Comfortable Beds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 6873-6877
• Tecwyn, E. C., Thorpe, S. K., & Chappell, J. (2013). A novel test of planning ability: Great apes can plan step-by-step but not in advance of action. Behavioural Processes 100, 174-184.
• Chappell, J., Phillips, A. C., van Noordwijk, M. A., Mitra Setia, T., & Thorpe, S. K. S. (2015). The Ontogeny of Gap Crossing Behaviour in Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). PloS One, 10(7), e0130291-15.
• Thorpe, S. K. S., & Crompton, R. H. (2005). Locomotor ecology of wild orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) in the Gunung Leuser ecosystem, Sumatra, Indonesia: A multivariate analysis using log-linear modelling. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 127, 58-78.