Wild Voices: Diana monkeys, orangutans and a cat named Triceratops, Dr Erin Kane

Wild Voices Project

This conversation is with scientist and primate expert Erin Kane (@Diana_monkey). In the course of this podcast we talk about Erin’s work on Diana monkeys in Côte d’Ivoire and her work on orangutans in Borneo. We discuss her research findings on monkeys, collecting poo samples and how dancing helped her build up confidence for fieldwork. We also cover the cognitive load and impact of sexual harassment faced by many women in the scientific setting and in fieldwork settings. Erin Kane (https://erinelizkane.net/) is a postdoctoral research associate at Boston University, working with Dr. Cheryl Knott on a project examining life history influences on orangutan feeding ecology in Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with an emphasis on nutritional and endocrine analysis. She completed her PhD at Ohio State University in 2017. Her dissertation examined the social, ecological, and reproductive consequences of seasonal changes in food availability for Diana monkeys living in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. She is broadly interested in understanding primate responses to fluctuating food availability, particularly from socioecological, endocrine, and morphological perspectives. She also aims to make anthropology and primatology more inclusive and accessible sciences for a diverse group of scientists. When Erin isn't in a rain forest chasing primates and collecting their urine and feces, she loves taking ballet and spending time with her fantastic cat, Triceratops. The Wild Voices Project podcast tells the stories of people saving nature. We are part of WILDVoices media, a global production team bridging emerging storytellers with aspiring environmental professionals. Find out more about us at wildvoicesproject.org. Learn more about the global community at wild-voices.org.