Environmental Internship Program - 2022 Booklet

BIODIVERSITY AND
CONSERVATION
Catherine Keim ’23
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
Certificate: Statistics and Machine Learning
PROJECT TITLE
Assessing the Impact of
Large Carnivore
Reintroduction on
Community Structure and
Functioning in a
Recovering African
Savanna
ORGANIZATION(S)
Pringle Lab,
Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology,
Princeton University
LOCATION(S)
Gorongosa National Park,
Mozambique
MENTOR(S)
Robert Pringle,
Professor of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology;
Erin Philips, Ph.D.
candidate, Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology
I studied the ecology of mesocarnivores in
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.
Mesocarnivores are midsized carnivores; in
Mozambique they include species such as
civets, genets, and mongooses. These mammals
are abundant in Gorongosa but are relatively
understudied and my work contributed to our
knowledge of mesocarnivore diet and behavior in
savanna ecosystems. Gorongosa is an especially
good location in which to conduct this research,
because the larger predator populations (lions,
leopards, etc.,) were almost entirely destroyed
during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992).
This absence of large carnivores allows us to
study mesocarnivore behavior without the
potential competition from larger predators.
Additionally, mesocarnivore behavior can be
studied continuously over time as conservation
and reintroduction efforts reintroduce top
predators to the park. We collected civet, genet,
and mongoose fecal samples for diet analysis and
comparison. We also used camera traps, which
take pictures or videos when a sensor detects
motion, to study mesocarnivore behavior and
movement across the park. The main experiment
we did was a carcass study, where we observed
scavenging behavior and nutrient distribution
at sites of dead animals. Overall, I learned new
field research techniques and had the privilege of
working in a beautiful and dynamic ecosystem.
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