Please contact one of the CRC Research Staff members below for information on internship possibilities.

• Applied ethology and animal welfare: Marina Salas,Marjolein Osieck,Zjef Pereboom
• Primatology: Nicky Staes, Jonas Verspeek, Kristel De Vleeschouwer, Jacob Willie
• Conservation Genetics: Philippe Helsen, Peter Galbusera
• Veterinary sciences: Jonas Spruyt

We currently have one MSc project available:

Bonobos, bacteria, and behavior: does the social network predict gut and vaginal microbiome diversity and composition in zoo-housed bonobos? Both the gut and the vagina of primates harbour thousands of bacteria (the microbiome) that play an important role in regulating their hosts’ health, physiology, digestion, and even brain function and behavior. These bacteria can be acquired from the direct environment (e.g. through soil or food), but might also be transmitted from one individual to another through social contact, such as grooming and sociosexual interactions. Interestingly, in bonobos, these are the two most important forms of social behavior and therefore, their social contacts might be strong predictors of the diversity and the composition of their gut and vaginal microbiomes. For instance, individuals that have central positions in their network might have highly diverse microbiomes, and bonobo dyads that are in contact often might share more bacteria with each other than with bonobos they have less or no contact with. The aim of this study is to collect behavioral data on bonobos living in European zoos. While the overarching goal of the study is to link social behavior with microbiome composition and diversity in this species, the student can develop their own research topic together with the supervisor(s), focusing on a behavioral study alone or incorporating microbiological data as well.

• Behavioural data collection is planned in the course of 2025 (period is flexible)
• 2 weeks of training is planned in Planckendael ZOO or Antwerp ZOO (Belgium) to learn the ethogram and protocol, after which another week of training will happen in the respective zoo where behavioral data will be collected (under supervision)
• Per zoo uninterrupted availability is required for 2.5 consecutive months (depending on the number of individuals in the zoo), at least five days a week, to collect data. You will need a personal (Windows) laptop to install The Observer software and fast and blind typing is crucial for successful completion of this project.
• This project can serve as a minor project (3 months of data collection in one zoo) or major (6 months of data collection spread across two zoos)
• Potential locations include Planckendael ZOO (Belgium), Apenheul (the Netherlands), Ouwehands Dierenpark (the Netherlands), Vallée Des Singes (France), Wilhelma Stuttgart (Germany), Frankfurt Zoo (Germany), Wuppertal Zoo (Germany), Kölner Zoo (Germany), Twycross Zoo (United Kingdom), Leipzig Zoo (Germany), Berlin Zoo (Germany)