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 – Reciprocal influence of social complexity and altruistic behaviors in Rattus norvegicus living in semi-natural environment)
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)

Undergraduate students

1-Buddhadeb Biswas

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.