Robert Weladji, PhD, Principal Investigator

Professor/ Professeur Titulaire

Graduate Program Director / Directeur des Programmes de Maîtrise et Doctorat

Associate Researcher Zoo de Granby / Chercheur Associé au Zoo de Granby

 

Current Students

Graduates (Go to individual students’ website for project details)

1. Léa Mimeault (MSc student: Impact of habitat loss on elephant habitat use and their interactions with humans around the Campo-Ma’an National Park, southern Cameroon)
2. France Anougue (PhD student: Habituation and ecological monitoring of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): for conservation and ecotourism in the Campo-Ma’an National Park, southern Cameroon)
3. Narcisse Emile Nana Njila (PhD student- cosupervision with Prof Louis Zapfack at University of Yaoundé 1: Evaluation du taux de renouvellement des macroéléments sur la diversité floristique des forêts tropicales humides)
4. Marie Sophie Roy (MSc student – Influence of female reproductive status on mating behaviours of reindeer Rangifer tarandus)
5. Hayat Mahdjoub (PhD student – The impact of abiotic and biotic stressors on sexual selection)
6. Cassandre Vielle (PhD student – The feedback loop between altruism and social structure altruism in semi-natural Norway rats Rattus norvegicus)
7. Jérémie Moreau (MSc student – Biodiversity of non-human primates in the Campo Ma’an National Park using camera traps)
8. Asheley Brydges (MSc student – Effect of supplemental feeding on the life history strategies of reindeer Rangifer tarandus)
9. Cameron Bell (MSc student – Factors affecting the nesting success of sea turtles in southern Cameroon)

Undergraduate students

1– xxx

Past students

Graduates

 

Louis Lazure, PhD: Cognition of common mammal mesopredators and implications for their management (2017-2023)

Current position: Research Coordinator, Zoo de Granby, Granby

 

 

Alexander Boucher, MSc: Factors influencing formant frequencies of rutting male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) vocalisations, and implications for sexual selection (2021-2023)

Current position: Environmental Technician, Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, Port McNeil, BC

 

 

 

 

Shao Doyon-Degroote, MSc:  Ambassador animals welfare: impact of education programs on behavioral and physiological wellbeing (2021-2023)

Current position: Attending Veterinary School at Faculté de Médécine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Collins, MSc:  Occupancy and activity of sympatric central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in a multi-use landscape, Campo Ma’an Conservation Area, Southern Cameroon  (2020-2022)

Current position: Attending Veterinary School at Faculté de Médécine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal

 

 

 

Isaac B. Djoko, PhD:  Interactions Between People and forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis): The case of Campo-Ma’an National Park, Southern Cameroon (2017-2022)

Current position: Naturalist, at Groupe uni des éducateurs-naturalistes et professionnels en environnement (GUEPE), Montreal

 

 

Laura Puch, MSc: The role of male vocalizations on sexual selection in reindeer Rangifer tarandus (2020-2022)

Current position: Biologist at Quebec Oiseaux, Montreal

 

 

Julienne Therese Bonoan, MSc: Social Network Analysis of female reindeer Rangifer tarandus: Do females associate due to relatedness? (2018-2020)

Current position: Project Administrator, at Lankin Living, Vaughan, Ontario

 

 

 

 

 

 Keenin R. Coombs, MSc: Mismatch between calf paternity and observed copulations between male and female reindeer Rangifer tarandus (2018-2020)

Current position: PhD student, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University

 

 

 

 

 

Catherine Pelletier, MSc:  Impact of ultrasounds and visitors’ noise pollution on the behaviour and welfare of captive zoo animals (2017-2019)

Current position: Project manager and nature-interpreter at Fous de Nature, Boucherville

 

 

 

 

Amélie Paoli, PhD: Breeding phenology of a semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) population in response to climatic variability (2015-2019)

Current position: Owner and Pastry Chef, at “Les Patisseries d’Amelie”, Serrians, France, since February 2022

 

 

 

 

Louis-Paul-Roger Banoho Kabelong, PhD – cosupervision with Prof Louis Zapfack at University of Yaoundé 1: Evaluation monétaire des services écosystémiques des forêts tropicales humides du Cameroun : cas des forêts sempervirentes et semi-décidues (2014-2019)

Current position: Senior Lecturer, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I & Coordonnateur Technique de l’Organisation pour la Conservation et le Développement (OCD)

 

 

 

Jeffrey Driscoll, MSc: The relationship between operational sex ratio (OSR) and the intensity of competition in reindeer ((Rangifer tarandus L.): the effect of male age (2016-2018)

Current position:  Terrestrial Ecologist at 4 Conservations Consulting Services, Toronto.

 

 

Julie Beaudin-Judd, MSc: The impact of the open and closed exhibit designs on captive Bennett’s wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) behaviour and visitor experience (2015-2017)

Current position: Biology Lectuer at CDI College, Montreal, QC, Canada

 

 

Caitlin Finlay, MSc: The Using behavior and social associations to assess the welfare of a captive flock of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) (2015-2017)

Current position: Support Scientist at Charles River Laboratories, Senneville, QC., Canada

 

Samuel Tsakem, PhD: Ecological aspects of great apes in the Lobéké National Park (Cameroon) and its surroundings: implications for conservation (2011-2017)

Current position: Deputy Director, School of Wildlife Specialist, Garoua, Cameroon.

 

Emily Anderson, MSc: The behaviour and welfare of Zoo-housed Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) (2014-2016)

Current position: Zookeeper 1, Assiniboine Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

 

Franco Alo, MSc: The influence of operational sex ratio on the intensity of competition in reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, during rut: an experimental approach (2014-2016)

Current position: Scientific communicator, Ducks Unlimited Canada (National Boreal Program)

 

 

Sacha Engelhardt, PhD: Suckling and allosuckling in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): the evolution of sociality and cooperative breeding

Current position: Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland

 

 

 

Justin Strong, MSc: Investigation of Personality in Subdominant Male reindeer and its relation to Somatic Cost and Reproductive Success (2013-2015)

Current position: Science Projects Coordinator at FFAW-Unifor (Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union – Newfoundland and Labrador)

 

 

Guillaume Body, PhD: Importance of group dynamics on female mating behaviour in reindeer Rangifer tarandus (2010-2014)

Current position: Ingénieur de Recherche Géomaticien et Expert en Analyse Spatiale, at ONCFS (Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage), France

 

 

Natasa Djakovic, PhD: Females’ social dynamic and mate choice during rut (cosupervision; 2007-2013)

Current position: Unknown

 

 

 

Natalka Melnycky, MSc : Age and sex specific allometric growth of antlers in Rangifer tarandus: variability in the pattern of resource allocation (2010-2012)

Current position: Wildlife Biologist – Government of Alberta, Department of Environment and Sustainable Resources, Edmonton, Canada

 

Issac Hébert, MSc : The habitat preference of Newfoundland woodland caribou across range components and scales: implications for management (2010-2012)

Current position: Fisheries Biologist for the Aquatics Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough

 

 

Alys Granados, MSc : Human-Elephant Interaction and elephant movement patterns in the Bénoué Wildlife Conservation Area, Northern Cameroon (2009-2011)

Current position: Postdoc at the University of British Columbia

 

 

Léon L’Italien, MSc : Female mate choice in reindeer: an experimental test of the effects of male characteristics and age structure (2007-2010)

Current position: Biologiste pour la direction de la faune aquatique, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs; Quebec

 

 

C-Jae Morden, MSc: Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou (2008-2010)

Current position: Research Conservation Specialist at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Winnipeg, MB

 

 

Karine Laflamme-Mayer, MSc: Influence of Environmental Conditions on Sex Allocation in the Black  Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) Population of Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa (2008-2010)
Current position:

 

 

Sara McCarthy, MSc: Landscape Composition and Configuration Influences Woodland Caribou Calf Recruitment in Newfoundland (2008-2010)

Current position: Wildlife Biologist II, Goose Bay Wildlife Division, Department of Environment and Conservation NL.

 

 

Erica Tennenhouse, MSc:Reproductive effort in rutting dominant male reindeer: the influence of mating group composition, age, and rutting period (2008-2010)

Current position: After a PhD from University of Toronto (Department of Anthropology, supervisor: Dr. Joyce Parga), now Freelance Science Writer (https://ericatennenhouse.com/)

 

 

Undergraduates

1. Sacha Engelhardt, USRA-NSERC summer student 2008, project title: Effects of human disturbance level on flight initiation distance and distance to refuge in foraging grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis).
2. Stephanie Hewitt, BIOL 490 student 2009, project title: Can morphological traits of horses be a reliable indicator of temperament?
3. Sacha Engelhardt, USRA-NSERC summer student 2009 and BIOL 490 student 2009/2010, project title: Allogrooming in captive Mandrills: reciprocity or exploitation? (Granby Zoo)
4. Valerie Cournoyer, Biol 490, 2010/2011, project title: Effects of Weather and Time of Day on the Foraging Behavior of Barn Swallows, Hirundo rustica
5. Tamara Kalioujny, USRA-NSERC summer student in 2011, Scol 490 student 2011, project title: The Effect of Zoo Visitors on Activity Budgets and Interspecific Interactions in Captive African Herbivores (Granby Zoo)
6. Alexandre Ferland, USRA-NSERC summer student in 2011, BIOL 490 student 2012, project title: Behavioural Dynamics of a Captive All-Male Troop of Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Granby Zoo)
7. Anna Bratulic, BIOL 490 student 2013, project title: Local weather influence on relative abundance indices for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) south of the St. Lawrence Seaway
8. Palig Khatcherian, BIOL 490 student 2013, project title: Activity Budget of Two Captive Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens) During Breeding Season (Granby Zoo)
9. Kevin Gauley, Biol 490 student 2013, project title: Activity Budget of Two Captive Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens) Intoduced to a New Exhibit (Granby Zoo)
10. Emily Collins, CUSRA summer student 2020, assisting PhD student Louis Lazure.
11. Sophie Scattolin, CUSRA summer student 2021, assisting PhD student Louis Lazure.
12. Buddhadeb Biswas. Biol 490 student 2024, project title: Optimizing Wildlife Image Detection and Classification Through Machine Learning Models for Camera Trap Data for Loxodonta cyclotis