Borneo: Primate Conservation

Catalog description

Borneo's primate community is exceptionally rich, including proboscis monkeys, which occur only in Borneo, leaf monkey, macaque, gibbons, tarsier and slow loris. Of greatest conservation concern is the orangutan, which occurs naturally on only two islands in the world, Borneo and Sumatra, and is under increasingly severe pressure, primarily from habitat loss. The orangutan, the only great ape in Asia, may completely vanish from the wild within two decades. Partnered with the Woodland Park Zoo, we will join researchers from the NGO Hutan and the Danau Girang Field Centre, and villagers of the Kinabatangan region who are responsible for model community-based efforts to preserve orangutans, Bornean pygmy elephants, and other species. In addition to exploring primatological field methods, students will work with local groups and develop new ways to engage communities worldwide in saving orangutans and other wildlife. Prior to and following the field experience in Borneo, students complete coursework via Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community as they apply experiences to their home institutions. Cross-listed with IES.