The poop on poop
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 8:40am

We’ve all heard that old saw: one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. For Dr. Rebecca Chancellor that couldn’t ring more true for her team of researchers at the Gishwati Area Conservation Program in Rwanda.

In this case, the treasure is chimpanzee poop collected regularly from the Gishwati Forest near Kinihira. By collecting, washing and sorting through the great ape waste, Chancellor and her research assistants learn about the size of the chimpanzees, their eating habits, the availability of their food sources, possible parasite infestations and hormonal information for a population of 14 chimpanzees in an isolated pocket of Rwandan rain forest.

Soon, samples will be shipped out for DNA testing which will give those working on the field station a better idea of the genetic makeup of this important and endangered group of chimpanzees.

After the waste matter is rinsed, research assistant NYANDWI Sylvain and Dr. Rebecca Chancellor separate seeds, nuts and fibers to learn more about the diet of the Gishwati chimpanzees.