CHIMPP

Project Title:

CHIMPP

Responsible Organisation:

Bush-To-Base Bioinformatics

Website:

Organisation Type:

Academic

Project Director:

Dr. Taranjit Kaur

Partner Organisations:

Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine & Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Tanzanian National Park Authority (TANAPA), University of Rhode Island, National University of Rwanda, Management Sciences, Inc., Kyoto University, University of Alabama at Birmingham international tour operators and others

Administrative Country:

United States

Project Region:

Africa

Project Country:

United Republic of Tanzania

Project Funding:

US National Science Foundation

Type of technology used:

Data Management and Information Sharing

Technology Details:

PDAs with integrated GPS, specialised software

Support Of Technology Company:

None. All done in house at Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine .

Conservation/Developmant Focus:

Chimpanzee

Project Duration:

Ongoing since 2003

Project Aims:

The aim is to develop a more "wholistic" system for the integration of technology, research and education through a project designed to study and protect chimpanzees in Tanzania.

Project Activities:

Field researchers will gather physiological data on the chimps, and code and process the data using handheld PDA modules with global positioning system capability that interface with a Virginia Tech-based web-enabled server which are designed to share information with authorised users.

Project Results:

Plan to create a novel "electronic infrastructure" that will take a multidisciplinary approach to developing improved wildlife management strategies in the east African nation. The project helps the Tanzanian National Park Authority (TANAPA) to develop science-based management strategies that will protect the free-ranging chimpanzee population at Mahale from tourism related problems like disease transmission, habitat destruction, and competition for resources. That information will enable those officials to determine a more accurate understanding of the area’s capacity for tourism, as well as support the development of more effective management and training programs for professionals and tourists.

Future Steps:

Technology Lessons Learned:

Contact Name 1:

Dr. Taranjit Kaur

Telephone/Fax 1:

Postal Address 1:

Email 1:

taranjit@vt.edu

Contact Name 2:

Telephone/Fax 2:

Postal Address 2:

Email 2:

Organisation Summary:

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