Animal behavior, cognition and evolution.
Communication, social learning and cultural transmission more specifically.
Work experience
Scientific manager
Field site during PhD (since 2015)
Management of the team (10-15 people) and management of the research center, at the field site, Inkawu Vervet Project, South Africa. Scientific organisation: Organisation of the working shift, supervision of volunteers and master students for their project(7 students since 2015), data collection and analyses, Teaching and training of new team members ( around 50 people since 2015), recruitment of interns and volunteers, organisation of various daily tasks and activities at the research centre (budget, planning, equipment, database, cars, life in the house...).
⇒ Collaboration with a sanctuary for Vervet monkeys rehabilitation and conservation, “Watch center” (vryheid, South Africa) http://www.vervet.co : non-invasive behavioural studies and data collection on captive Vervet monkeys at the sanctuary, help to release troops in their natural habitat, help to take care of orphan babies Vervet monkeys.
Internship in animal behaviour
January to june 2015 (5 months)
Study of gestural communication in red-capped Mangabeys. Ethos UMR 6552 biological station of Paimpont, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, (France): individual recognition, focal animal sampling, video recordings and analysis, statistical analysis, report writing, teaching and helping supervision of undergraduate students.
Internship in animal conservation on the field
March-April 2014 (6 weeks)
Work in Large carnivores (bears, wolfes, lynx) conservation and rehabilitation project. Lupus Laetus, Republic of Carelia, (Russia): Behavioural observations, tracks identifications, report writing, population follow up, assessment of animal’s density of population in our area.
-Release of orphan bear cubs, helping them and preparing them to go back in the wild, following their rehabilitation after being back into the wild.
-Black Grouse and Western Capercaillie population follow-up and behavioural observations, especially courting and reproductive behaviour, competition in between males around courting ground.
Internship in animal behaviour in the field
September 2013 to March 2014 (7 months)
Study of variation in agonistic screams in wild vervet monkeys. Department of comparative cognition, University of Neuchatel, (Switzerland), Inkawu Vervet Project (South Africa): individual recognition, establishment of a protocol, scan and focal animal sampling, playback and fake predators experiment, video and sound recordings, acoustic analysis, statistical analysis, report writing.
Internship in animal behaviour in the field
April-Mai 2013 (2 months)
Study of decisions making process in collective movements of horses. IPHC, (CNRS of Strasbourg, France): Individual recognition, scan and focal animal sampling, video recordings and analyses, statistical analysis, report writting
9th international convention about observation of human babies behaviour
October 2012 (1 week)
Dakar, (Senegal).
Internship (Bachelor degree)
2011-2012 (135H)
Internship in Landscape Ecology, « Home range availability for the American Marten », University of Montréal, Montréal, (Canada).
Education
PhD in animal behaviour, primatology, cognition and evolution: 2015-2017
Social learning rules and their adaptive functions in wild Vervet monkeys, (Social learning and Cultural transmission), Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, (Switzerland)
Master’s Degree 2: 2014-2015
MSc “Animal and Human Behaviour “, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, (France
Ethology, conservation, Psychology, Ecology, Statistics- (with distinction and Honours, rank 1/23)
Gap year: 2013-2014
Internships abroad (South Africa and Russia), in animal behaviour and conservation. University Diploma “DU + césure”
University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
Master’s Degree 1: 2012-2013
MSc “Animal and Human Behaviour “, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, (France)
Ethnology, Conservation, Psychology, Ecology, Statistics, (with distinction and Honours, Rank 6/85)
Bachelor degree of Science in Cellular Biology: 2009-2012
BSc Biology with (distinction and honours), University of Luminy, Marseille, (France)
Study abroad: 2011-2012
Exchange program during the 3rd year of BSc biology, conservation and ecology, University of Montréal, Montréal, (Canada)
Preparatory classes: 2008-2009
For competitive exams, Biology, Geology, Mathematics, physics, chemistry, High School Lakanal, Paris, (France)
Research
Articles:
- Anne Marijke Schel, Axelle Bono, Simone Pika, Alban Lemasson - Red-capped mangabeys communicate with intentional gestures. (In prep)
- Stephanie Mercier, Axelle Bono, Klaus zuberbühler - Variations in screams of vervet monkeys depending on their social roles (in prep)
Talks:
- PEGG conferences (south Africa) july 2016 & july 2017 , Social learning rules and their adaptive fonctions in wild vervet monkeys.
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, (Switzerland) November 2015 & December 2016. Social learning rules and their adaptive fonctions in wild vervet monkeys.
Language
- French: native language
- English: Fluency (Written and spoken)
- Mauritian creole (understanding)
Computer skills
Able to use Word, Excel, Power-point, R, Spss, Praat, Socprog, Pendragon, Prime8
Extra-curricular Activities
- Intervention in schools in the country side, in kwazulu natal, (teaching, sharing and making connexions with local populations, (by my own, with no association)
- Member of IPS (international primatological society)
- Admitted to National Art Academy via competitive exam (Marseille France, 2010)
- Drawing, painting, photo
- Travelling (south & North America/Europe/ Africa/ Indian ocean islands...)
- Wild life watching
- Big interest in the “colibri “ movement/association and the work of Pierre Rabhi (like “oasis” project...)
- Member of “foundation Nicolas Hulot” for Nature and Humans
- Horse riding
- Hiking
Seasonal Work - Summer 2009-2010-2012
Guard in a mountain refuge, hospitality, cleaning, waiter, « Refuge de Furfande », hautes Alpes, (France)
Occasionally from 2006 to 2012
Salesperson / shop assistant in supermarkets, sport shops and museum
Regularly since 2004
Babysitting, 6-month to 12-year-old children
