Canopy is an in-house publication with contributions from staff, students and visiting speakers about their research. The aim of Canopy is to provide the wider primatology and conservation community with a representation of current and past works undertaken by MSc students and acts as a medium for communication between past and present students, those working in primatology, and those with a general interest in the topics covered in these issues.
Canopy
ISSN 2054-2070
Journal of the MSc Primate Conservation
This Canopy issue is our very last issue, and it is celebrating the 25 year anniversary of our MSc. The specific topics covered in this issue are:
- MSc and MRes dissertation projects 2000 to 2025
- A preliminary assessment of the behaviour of the Critically Endangered San Martín titi monkey
- Unintended challenges in behavioural data collection: How capuchin curiosity compromises camera trap research
- Social Network Analysis as a tool for captive chimpanzee integration
- The influence of sex and age on sleep partner choice of silky sifakas
- Whose knowledge counts? A reflexive account of gibbon research in Bunong Indigenous Land
- Black magic with wild animals in rural south India
- Testing for gregariousness in captive slow lorises as a step in gauging suitability to be reintroduced into the wild
- Predicting the potential niche of a titi species with unknown distribution from Brazil using Maximum Entropy
- Ecological niche modelling to determine areas of suitable habitat for southern pig-tailed macaques in a human dominated landscape
- Resting site tree preference in howler monkeys
Volume 26, Issue 2, Spring 2025
This Canopy issue is a special issue exploring the complexities and challenges of primate welfare in captivity, with a particular focus on improving their well-being. It includes the following topics:
- Behavioural adjustments during chimpanzee integration at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage
- Analysis of captivity conditions of primates housed in zoological centres in south of Spain
- Visitor frequency at potto enclosure in Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park and its implications for potto welfare
- The importance of novel and cognitive enrichment for captive chimpanzees
- A systematic review of the effects of musical enrichment on captive mammals
- Ethical implications of observing captive gibbons
Volume 25, Issue 1, Winter 2024
This is a special issue highlighting new directions in primatology, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- The impact of COVID-19 on conservation and organisational resilience in Madagascar
- Analysis of accelerometer data using Random Forest models to classify the behaviour of Javan slow loris
- Primates: Angels or Demons: Are conflicts between primates and humans all a matter of perspective?
- Interdisciplinary cooperation as a key to holistic environmental education
- Conservation welfare- understanding and protecting the wellbeing of wild individuals
- Tourists adhere to IUCN guidelines when viewing Sumatran orangutans in Indonesia
- Implications and impacts of nature’s legal personality on stakeholders and its possible applications to primate conservation
Volume 24, Issue 2, Spring 2024
This is a special issue highlighting and celebrating women in the field of primatology, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Women in conservation: Menstruation in male-centric sites
- The positive effect of experiments on chimpanzee play in a sanctuary environment
- Discovering new groups of titi monkeys in Peru
- Sleep patterns and factors influencing sleep of nocturnal and cathemeral lemurs
- Assessment of the rehabilitation process’ success of a group of capuchins
- Gibbon vocalisation and ethical wildlife volunteering
- Pathogen identification in captive primates’ bones
- Surveying cryptic nocturnal mammals with motion-activated camera traps in Central African Republic
Volume 24, Issue 1, Winter 2023
This Canopy issue is a special issue focusing on and showcasing the different research areas of our MSc lectures. The specific topics covered are:
- The importance of the habitat stability through the years for a western hoolock gibbon released
- Eco-resorts as potential arcs for endangered species: A case study of slow lorises in Thailand
- Changes in the behavioural ecology of collared brown lemurs in a regenerating forest fragment
- Primate pet trade across and out of Asia: collection and analysis from the CITES Trade Database
- Review of crop foraging by gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos
- “Human shield”, habituation, and trail implementation- the complex world of field biology
- The use of personality in improving the management and welfare of captive bonobos
Volume 23, Issue 2, Spring 2023
This Canopy issue is a special issue focusing on human-primate interactions, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Primates as traditional medicine in Mihintale, Sri Lanka
- The effects of COVID-19 in primate range countries: Case studies in Sierra Leone and Uganda
- Ethnoprimatology in the Peruvian Amazon and the role of positionality
- Did Homo erectus eat other apes: A discussion on sympatry, predation and competition of extinct African apes
- An investigation into primate diversity and livelihoods of the Maraguá people in Central Amazonia, Amazonas, Brazil
- Human and monkey interactions at Cape Vidal, South Africa
Volume 23, Issue 1, Winter 2022
This Canopy issue is a special issue on primate studies in captivity, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- The effects of various enrichment methods on the engagement and inter-group behaviour of captive chacma baboons
- Enclosure use and behaviour of a pair of captive Colombian black spider monkeys: Does visitor presence matter?
- Role of vocalisation and impact of auditory enrichment for captive gibbons
- Does primate personality affect enrichment engagement and behaviour in L’Hoest’s monkeys?
- How BIAZA accredited zoos shape people’s perception of primates on Facebook: The pros and cons of post popularity
- Interview with Elizabeth Jennings – working with primates in captivity
Volume 22, Issue 2, Spring 2022
This Canopy issue is a special issue on conservation education and outreach, and the specific topics covered in this issue are
- Evaluating the process of creating environmental education resources
- The process behind developing a conservation education programme
- Creative learning activities engage students in conservation education
- Teachers perspective of conservation education in the UK National Curriculum
- Optimising the educational impact of sanctuary visits at the Project Gorille Fernan-Vaz, Gabon
- An environmental education program in urban, suburban and rural Dutch primary schools
- Linking of resources in schools for slow loris conservation.
- Conservation and Art in the 2021-22 academic year
- The Role of Art in Conservation: An interview with Professor Anna Nekaris
Volume 22, Issue 1, Winter 2021
The topics covered in this issue are:
- The Fragmented Forest Game: Using a simulation game to bring to life the impact of forest fragmentation on gibbon survival
- The potential Influence of pair bond strength on singing behaviour in Bornean agile gibbons
- Understanding people’s motives behind their negative interactions with great apes
- Assessing the impact of an El Niño Fire on a population of Müller’s gibbon in a threatened Bornean forest
- The Ontological Turn within anthropology and the ethical challenge of species loss
- Is there a preference for the conservation of endemic versus foreign species through viewing wildlife documentaries?
- Challenges of conserving transboundary species: with a focus on northern white-cheeked gibbons
- Interview with Dr Susan Cheyne
Volume 21, Issue 2, Spring 2021
The topics covered in this issue are:
- DNA barcoding of primates: the importance of selecting an appropriate molecular marker in genetic research
- Utilizing media to assess the distribution of publications involving chimpanzees
- The movement ecology of bamboo lemurs in Madagascar
- Collection and analysis of global non-human primate roadkill data
- Assessing perceptions on the use of primates in social media posts
- Attitudes and perceptions as threats to great apes in Deng Deng National Park, Cameroon
- Improving rehabilitation assessments for successful reintroduction of ex-pet gibbons using personality assessments
- The impact of the end of the conflict in Colombia: Deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade
- Covid-19 and the many ways it affects apes in the wild
- Interview: How has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the ways in which primatologists work?
Volume 21, Issue 1, Winter 2020
This is the information you normally include along with the PDF of the issue. The topics covered in this issue are:
- Developing the first-ever microsatellite loci for the pygmy slow loris
- Methodologies used to determine blue monkey presence in naturally fragmented forest patches in Malawi
- Flexible activity patterns in a primarily diurnal primate in an anthropogenic habitat
- Lemurs on YouTube: Public perception on lemurs in different contexts and implications for conservation
- Featured primates in articles written for Canopy 2012-2020
- Increased human-wildlife interactions intensify disease transmission between humans and non-human primates
Volume 20, Issue 1, Winter 2019
This Canopy issue is a special issue celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the Primate Conservation MSc, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Alumni Interviews
- The effects of structural and feeding enrichments on captive gibbons at a rehabilitation and release centre in India
- The role of sacred groves and community forests in biodiversity conservation: an example from Sierra Leone
- Gibbon responses to tourist density in a semi-free ranging environment
- A brief assessment of Minyak kukang (slow loris oil)
- To what extent does EU and UK legislation protect long-tailed macaques bred in overseas farms but used for experiments in the UK
- The use of ecological niche modelling and GIS to identify suitable reintroduction site locations for gibbons in China
- Assessing the effect of the captive environment on the activity levels of walkthrough housed ring-tailed lemurs
- Investigating the use of northern pig-tailed macaques to harvest coconuts in Thailand
- Effects of captivity on the activity budgets of lar gibbons
- Interview with Dr Alison Cronin, Director of Monkey World
Volume 19, Issue 2, Spring 2019
This Canopy issue is a special issue that highlights articles demonstrating applied, on-the-ground conservation research , and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- The importance of cultural factors in people-Macaca fascicularis interactions at tourist sites in South-East Asia
- Using freelisting to evaluate education in South-East Asia
- Movement and socio-ecology of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys
- Grey mouse lemur population and habitat assessment in transitional littoral forest of Madagascar
- Preliminary survey of the primates of the coastal dry forest in West Ecuador
- Studying faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in chimpanzees in Uganda
- Population density of reintroduced Bornean orangutans in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
- Interview with Dr David Chivers
Volume 19, Issue 1, Autumn 2018
This Canopy issue is a special issue is dedicated to the theme of the human-primate interface, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- An ethnoprimatological approach to assessing the human-baboon interface in South Africa
- Implications of volunteer tourism on conservation initiatives and community outreach projects
- Tourism or ecotourism in Sierra Leone
- Tourists influence on lemurs’ behaviour in Madagascar
- Primate portrayals in motion pictures
Volume 18, Issue 2, Spring 2018
This Canopy issue is a special issue highlighting methods utilising the web as a research tool for primate conservation, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Review on the linkages between great ape conservation and poverty alleviation: current trends and gaps in the literature
- Media effect on pet crazes: slow lorises on web 2.0 sites
- Neotropical primates in protected areas
- Implementing best practice guidelines: a preliminary study on the need for orangutan-specific guidelines for rehabilitation and re-introduction centres in Indonesia
- Culture shock in volunteer tourists
- Familiarity breeds contempt: does the literature on the long-tailed macaque reflect its true value?
Volume 18, Issue 1, Winter 2017
This Canopy issue is a special issue on Ethnoprimatology , and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Local ecological knowledge about nocturnal animals in Brunei
- The illegal trade of slow lorises in Marmaris, Turkey
- Edge effects and crop raiding study on a lemur community in Southeast Madagascar
- Utilising the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for ecotourism site selection in Java, Indonesia
- Reflections on undertaking cross-disciplinary fieldwork on human-primate interactions in West Africa
- Time budgets, social behaviour and human impacts among green vervet monkeys and western red colobus in The Gambia
Volume 17, Issue 2, Spring 2017
This Canopy issue is a special issue on the behaviour and care of primates within captive facilities, in zoos, sanctuaries, and rehabilitation centres , and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Public perception of conservation work carried out by zoos
- Interventions to alleviate behavioural pathologies in captive primates
- Tailored enrichment strategies and stereotypic behaviour in captive individually-housed macaques
- Breeding patterns in captive lemur species
- Play behaviours and personality in juvenile Bornean orangutans at an Indonesian rehabilitation centre
- Does the rearing history of common marmosets and black-eared marmosets affect behaviour within captive enclosures?
- Rescue-Enrich-Release: The environmental enrichment program for three species of captive primates at Colobus Conservation, Kenya
Volume 17, Issue 1, Winter 2016
This Canopy issue is a special issue on the studies in the Neotropics, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Modelling Occupancy for the Critically Endangered brown-headed spider monkey in Ecuador
- Behaviour and social networks of rehabilitant mantled howler monkeys
- Tourist-monkey interactions at Iguazü National Park, Argentina
- An assessment of enrichment strategies for sanctuary housed spider monkeys
- Behaviour and ranging patterns of the Endangered and endemic Bolivian titi monkeys
- Preliminary study on the effects of a hunting community on the Peruvian black spider monkey
Volume 16, Issue 2, Spring 2016
This Canopy issue is a special issue on the topic of perceptions of primates and primatological methodologies, and the specific topics covered in this issue are:
- Introduction of cross disciplinary methodologies to traditional conservation education studies
- Audial density survey of yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia
- The effects of provisioning on Chacma Baboons in Botswana
- Local attitudes toward mountain gorilla conservation in Uganda
- Visitor perceptions on primate walk-through enclosures
- Studying human-animal relationships in a zoo environment
- Human wildlife interactions – Primates as pets
Volume 16, Issue 1, Autumn 2015
This is a special issue on the topic of habitat fragmentation and it’s relevance to the conservation of primate species:
- Implications for primate conservation in a highly fragmented landscape at Bulindi, Uganda
- Raising awareness about coltan mining, gorilla conservation and influencing zoo visitors to recycle mobile phones
- Habitat corridor utilisation by the gray mouse lemur in south eastern Madagascar
- Infectious disease of veterinary significance throughout the orangutans range
- Landscape configuration influencing the presence of red howler monkeys in Colombia
- The effects of habitat alteration and fragmentation on Yucatan black howler monkey vocalizations in Mexico
- Assessing silver-brown tamarin presence in Colombia
- Why is Borneo burning?
Volume 15, Issue 2, Spring 2015
The topics covered in this Asian primate special issue are:
- Forest use, livelihoods and biodiversity in Kulen National Park, Cambodia
- Distribution of the Javan slow loris in East Java
- Effects of cognitive enrichment in gibbons’ welfare (Hylobatidae)
- The trade and welfare of slow lorises as pets in Japan
- Relationship between climate, disturbance and Nycticebus javanicus behaviour in Cipaganti, West Java
- The slender loris and other wildlife in supernatural rituals in Bangalore
- Empowering local people through education to conserve Cambodia’s primates
- Population density and habitat assessment of Müller’s gibbon in East Kalimantan
Volume 15, Issue 1, Winter 2014
The topics covered in this issue are:
- Factors that impact upon the diet of the Cheirogaleidae
- Comparing glucocorticoid levels in captive black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco)
- Factors influencing the body weight of captive Lemur catta
- Launching Ako Project US curriculum for lemur conservation education
- The use of contact calls of Eulemur collaris, in South-eastern Madagascar
- Primate Crossword
- Advice and suggestions for commenting on illegal loris material on the internet
Volume 14, Issue 2, Spring 2014
The topics covered in this issue are:
- Biodiversity loss in Vietnam due to the demand for wildlife and wildlife products
- Intra- and inter-group communication in the Southern-Bornean gibbon
- 2014 MSc Primate Conservation student field research locations
- Behavioural monitoring of southern yellow-cheeked gibbons
- Conservation education in Sri Lankan hotels to encourage responsible tourism
- Assessment of habitat, population density and parasites of the Javan slow loris
- Saving the Critically Endangered Javan slow loris through ecology, education and empowerment
- Save the Sulawesi Macaques
Volume 14, Issue 1, Winter 2013
The topics covered in this issue are:
- Gestural head movements in captive bonobos
- Using of deslorelin to reduce aggression in male chacma baboons to improve animal welfare in captivity
- San Martin titi monkeys show a preference for forest boundaries in Peru
- Diet and activity budgets of western lowland gorilla in Central African Republic
- People-wildlife conflict in Nigeria
- Interview with Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Ugandan gorilla veterinarian
Volume 13, Issue 2, Spring 2013
This issue is focusing on primates in captivity.
- Effects of enclosure design on captive gibbons
- How visitors affect lemurs in different captive settings
- Life as a primate keeper at ZSL London Zoo
- Exploration of the utility of genetic analysis to identify capuchin species and origins
- Pet primates in the UK: health welfare issues
- Sociosexual behaviour as an indicator of abnormal behaviour in captive bonobos
- The use of temperament scoring to improve survivorship for reintroduced slow lorises
Volume 13, Issue 1, Winter 2012
Density study on red langurs in Indonesian Borneo- Overview of colobine diets
- Brown collared lemurs in Madagascar
- Proboscis monkeys and their threats in Indonesia
- Slow loris study in Cambodia
- About International Animal Rescue in Indonesia
- Conservation of squirrel monkeys in Panama
- Interview with Professor Simon Bearder (Receiving the Osman Hill Memorial Award)
Volume 12, Issue 2, Spring 2012
Due to the upcoming International Primatological Society Conference in Mexico this year this issue is a special bilingual edition, published in Spanish and English and all the articles cover Neotropical topics.
- Yellow-tailed woolly monkeys and night monkeys in Peru
- Behaviour of captive sakis and squirrel monkeys
- Improving education and research at a Bolivian sanctuary
- Stress in captive pied tamarins
- Conservation and Ecology of Peru’s Endemic Primate Fauna
The main Full Text download contains both languages and is a large 5.5MB download. You can also download the English and Spanish versions separately.
Volume 12, Issue 1, Winter 2011
Primate health in Indonesian Borneo- Behaviour of wild-born orphaned chimpanzees
- Local knowledge and uses for primates in Cambodia
- Western lowland gorillas in captivity
- Visitor effects on captive lemurs
- Disease transmission with Gorillas in Uganda
- Cropraiding in India
- Enrichment for Javan gibbons
Volume 11, Issue 2, Spring 2011
Eco-hotels for the conservation of Sri Lankan grey langurs- Feeding behaviour and activity levels of captive black and white colobus
- Comparative feeding ecology of two cercopithecine species
- GRASP-ing for survival
- Global Primate Network
- MSc student research 2010-2011
Volume 11, Issue 1, Winter 2010
Jane Goodall: A short biography- Disease transmission from human to chimpanzees and gorillas
- Pre-release monitoring of orphaned chimpanzees at H.E.L.P Congo sanctuary
- Toque macaques and eco tourism in Sri Lanka
Volume 10, Issue 2, Spring 2010
- How the Primate MSc helps conservation
- Pedalling for primates
- MSc student research 2009-2010
- Sykes monkeys in Kenya
- Population viability analysis of proboscis monkeys
- Behavioural ecology of Western hoolock gibbons
- Zoo visitors impact on owl monkeys at Bristol Zoo
- Primate conservation in Panama
Volume 10, Issue 1, Winter 2009
- Captive primate wellbeing
- Stereotypic behaviour in capuchins
- Primate conservation in Cambodia
- Play behaviour and activity budgets of gibbons
- Preliminary survey on Bengal slow loris in Cambodia
- Population decline in collared lemurs, Madagascar
Volume 7, Issue 2, Spring 2009
- MSc student research 2008-2009
- Identifying purple-faced langurs
- Gibbon populations and forests in Indonesia
- Lemur conservation in captivity
- Secrets of the swamp gorillas
- Enrichment for captive spider monkeys
Volume 7, Issue 1, Winter 2008
- MSc student research 2007–2008
- Bushmeat hunting on Bioko Island
- The Santa Martha Animal Rescue, Ecuador
- Interviews on the primate pet trade in UK and Southeast Asia
- Researching the primate pet trade
- Microhabitat variables and home range use in Western purple-faced langurs (Trachypithecus vetulus nestor)
- Primate Conservation Seminar Series
Volume 6, Issue 2, Spring 2008
- Lebialem Hunters’ Beekeeping Initiative
- Calling patterns of western purple-faced leaf monkeys
- Queen’s Anniversary Award
- MSc student research 2007–2008
- Ecological niche modeling
Volume 6, Issue 1, Winter 2007
- A history of primatology in Panama
- MSc student research 2006-2007
- Comment: Primate conservationists: the stuff we're made of
- Primate Conservation Seminar Series
- Compassion in fashion: conserving endangered gorillas through t-shirt sales
- Staff profiles
- Ex-students in the field
- Upcoming events
Volume 5, Issue 2, Spring 2007
- Experiences Living and Working in Cameroon
- Past MSc Student Works and Experiences
- Staff profiles: Mika Peck and Corri Waitt
- Primate Conservation Seminar Series
- Primate Conservation Seminar: Ian Redmond
- Book Reviews
- Primate Society of Great Britain: Celebrating 40 years
- Opinion
Volume 5, Issue 1, Autumn 2006
- Human wildlife conflict in Uganda
- Past MSc student projects
- MSc Primate Conservation 2006-2007
- Books of Interest – Life after logging
- University events: Seminar Series
Volume 4, Issue 2, Spring 2006
- Letter from Ann Nekaris
- Welcome to Dr Ken Gold
- Primate Conservation Seminar Series
- MSc Project Sites
- Current Student Projects
- Past Student Projects
- Fundraising Update
- Book Review
- German Conference
- Course Information
Volume 4, Issue 1, Winter 2005
- 25 Most Endangered Species
- Primate Conservation Seminar Series
- Past Student Projects
- The Woolly Monkey as a Flagship Species
- Primate Conservation in Northwest Ecuador
- Frans de Waal - Seminar and Book Review
- MSc Fundraising Launch
- XXI IPS Conference Overview
- Correspondence from Past MSc Students
Volume 3, Issue 1, Winter 2004
- MSc Project Sites
- Wooly Monkey and Ikama - Peru Project
- Adventures in Madagascar
- Foraging Behaviour of Free-ranging Silvery Marmosets
- Effects of Enrichment on Captive Red Ruffed Lemurs
- Comparison of Captive Slow and Pygmy Loris Behaviour
- Survey of Gibbons in Central Kalimantan
- Primate Education at London Zoo
- Top 25 Most Endangered Primates
- Palm Oil and the Bornean Orang-utan
- Orang-utan Tool Use at Los Angeles Zoo
- Genetic Questions: Are You My Mother?
- Bald Lemur Syndrome
Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring 2004
- Conserving Sri Lanka Slender Loris
- Primate Conservation in the Columbian Amazon
- The Conservation of Orangutans in the Future
- Primates in the News
- Buyers Beware: Cruelty Free Today for a Better Tomorrow
- The Role of Media in the Future of Conservation
- Should Africa’s National Parks be Privatised?
- What is the Future Role of Zoos in Primate Conservation?
- Drastic Measures: Gorilla killed in Dallas
- Forest Survival Guide
- A Conservation Strategy on Bioko Island
- Evolution Candle
- Realities a World Away
- Where are we going?
- Student abstracts
- 2003/2004 MSc student titles