Voluntary Field Assistant for the Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project, Ivory Coast

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juan lapuente

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May 11, 2022, 3:09:39 PM5/11/22
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Volunteer field assistant position


Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project offers a volunteer field assistant position to help with the field work, local teams' coordination, data and samples collection and data entry in our project to study and protect the wild chimpanzees of Comoé National Park, in Ivory Coast.
Comoé National Park is one of the largest in Africa, with 11,500 km2 of savanna-woodland mosaic. Chimpanzees were supposed to be extinct in the park until our project rediscovered them in October 2014. Presently, we mainly focus in the study of ecology and behavior of 7 neighboring communities in our main study area, soutwest of the park. These are non-habituated chimpanzees, so we study them using camera traps, transects and etho-archaeological methods. We have been working for the last 8 years, in collaboration with local managers of the park, to improve the conditions for conservation of chimpanzees and their hábitats, with the perspective of a long term project. Comoé chimpanzees have peculiar behaviors https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.22628 that we keep studying and new ones keep appearing https://www.facebook.com/comoechimpanzeecp

The volunteer will stay mainly in the field, in camps with tents in the core of chimpanzees' home ranges, working with small teams of local assistants, in the wild, enduring very basic living conditions.
Occasionally, depending on the needs of the work, volunteer will stay at the huts in the CCCP camp in Kakpin, resting and entering data in a basic house with electricity provided by solar pannels, non-current wáter and internet.

Once per month, the volunteer will have the chance to go to the closest town for shopping and resting.
As a result of this job, volunteer will get a complete formation in field methodologies for primatological study provided by the personnel and director of the project.

Volunteer commitment and tasks:

Volunteer has to be able to work in small teams with people of very different culture and to be physically and mentally fit to endure the field work conditions in an isolated, remote environment. Volunteer will do all the possible to keep a possitive friendly relationship with personnel of the project to ensure the good development of the works. The personnel of the project has been carefully selected for having a good collaborative attitude and we expect the volunteer to behave in the same way.

Volunteer will be often responsible for the short term organization of the field work with the local teams. She/he will try to make logical work plans and always avoid unnecesary risks for both the personnel and her/him. Director of the project will always supervise and help in the organization.

Volunteer will be responsible for the sample and data collection in the field, organization of the teams and data entry and sample pre-analysis at the CCCP camp.

Requirements

Volunteer must preferably have a degree in biology, anthropology or environmental sciences, or previous participation in conservation or environmental projects that guarantee enough experience to handle field work, sample and data collection, although the volunteer will undergo a specific training for this project that will enable her/him to realize the required works.
Volunteer must have experience in field work with international teams, experience in Africa and/or experience in similar projects.

At least basic French is necessary


Volunteer must be able to endure simple living conditions in the middle of the wilderness, camping and staying away from civilization for long periods in a multicultural environment. She/he must be able to endure long walks in the field under hot and wet climate.

Volunteer will stay in the field for periods of up to two months,sleeping in tents, depending on the needs of the work, and will be able to stay at CCCP for data entry and sample processing for up to 2 days per week. Volunteer will have a minimum of 1 and a half free days per week.

Term of appointment

We will require the volunteer to stay for a minimum of one month working at the project and, depending on the conditions and volunteer’s availability, up to three months.

Security conditions

This area has been labeled as red zone due to jihadists’ attacks north of the park in the last two years. We keep working with no incident so far and safety issues are common place in many African research sites, but the volunteer will come under her/his own responsability, taking into account all the potential risks and getting the necessary information to make her/his own decission.

Health coverage

Volunteer must be in good health and have no health conditions that can put him/her at risk during his/her stay at the Park, includying important allergies. Volunteer will get all needed vaccines in his/her country of origin, including yellow fever and Covid (mandatory) and preferably hepatitis and meningitis. Volunteer will bring the needed medication and especially the antimalarial treatment and mosquito net. Volunteer will start preferably an antimalarial profilaxis 1 week before arrival and will keep it for the first weeks of habituation. Volunteer will do no practices that put at serious risk his/her health. The project will cover the basic first aid, little injuries and basic nursing, but for the important health issues, volunteer needs to contract a private health inssurance covering his/her stay and evacuation in case of need.

Project responsabilities:

The director and personnel of the project will do all the possible to create a friendly possitive work atmosphere and to collaborate with the volunteer for the good development of the works.

The Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project will provide tents, food, assistants and the basic facilities to live in the camps during the field works, although volunteers can bring their own tents. The Comoé Research Station will provide access to normal use of solar pannel electricity, telephone and Internet (email, whatsapp, facebook, etc. but no videos streaming or downloading) and lodging in one of its huts in CCCP camp.

The project will provide all the needed transportation for the works within the park and the chance to do a monthly trip to the closer town of Bondoukou for shopping and resting.

In the case of conflict in the country or need of evacuation or urgent medical assistance, the personnel of the project will give the needed support to the volunteer, although the medical and evacuation expenses should be covered by the volunteer's private inssurance.

Salary/funding:
This is a volunteer non paid position. Volunteers will need to pay for their travel and expenses during their stay. Volunteers will get on their own all the needed vaccination before travelling, including at least yellow fever and covid, (hepatitis, meningitis, rabies and tuberculosis are also recommendable although direct contact with chimpanzees is not expected during the stay) and a visa and medical inssurance covering their stay.

Volunteer will cover all travel expenses to come to the project and, during the time in the park, will cover meals and lodging expenses. Volunteer will have to pay a total of 500 euros per month (530 American dollars per month) for the expenses both in the field and in CCCP camp, including 3 meals per day, lodging in camps with tents, work travels within the park and internet use.

Volunteer will pay for her/his round trip in advance and expenses at the park will be paid monthly. Last month will be paid before leaving.

In the case that volunteer needs to leave the project before the agreed time for a justified reason, she/he will cover her/his expenses up to the date and her/his own travel expenses. Volunteer will warn about the change of dates with enough anticipation for the project responsibles to start looking for replacement.

How to apply

Send a CV, a motivation letter and the email address of two references (preferably from previous projects) to Dr. Juan Lapuente juanla...@yahoo.com.

All emails will be answered either possitively or negatively and those preselected candidates will need to have a Skype interview to make the final decission.

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