Research

For my Ph.D. dissertation, I am investigating the impacts of various stressors such as ecotourism, loss of connectivity due to forest fragmentation, and exposure to cattle and stray dogs on the health and well-being of a critically endangered lemur, Indri indri, one of the largest surviving lemurs in Madagascar. Specifically, I will assess the effect of these stressors on their feeding and ranging behavior, stress levels (cortisol hormones) and rate of infections (parasite prevalence). I will use an integrative method, combining behavioral and ecological sampling with laboratory analysis of fecal samples and community participation to understand Indri responses to anthropogenic disturbances.