"Baboons are very funny animals to watch," says Sharon Pochron, a primatologist in New York. "They are always fooling around, pulling on each other's tails and being nuisances."
If anybody knows about baboon behavior, it's Pochron. She followed a group of 60 baboons for 18 months. "I spent that whole time living in a tent," she explains. Although the living conditions were not too good, Pochron enjoyed the entire experience.
"It is so much fun living in the field," she says. "You get to watch so many different animals."
Pochron did this work in Tanzania, where many animals roamed the countryside. "I'd wake up in the morning and see elephants crossing the river or see a herd of zebras. It was truly amazing," she says.
"The really nice thing about being in a group of 60 baboons is that other animals are very calm around you. They don't notice you amongst all the baboons," she says. "I was able to get very close to a lot of different types of animals."
Pochron followed the baboons to find out about their eating habits. This will help people understand their diet and can be used for conservation. "But I just wanted to know the answer to the question," she says. "I would have done this research for any reason."
She found that baboons will eat many different types of food. "When there is more food available, they eat lots of fruit, leaves and grass seeds," she explains. But in Africa, this lush time is followed by a dry season when food becomes scarce.
"In the dry season, they eat a lot of meat," says Pochron. "They eat things like newborn impala, guinea hens, rabbits and tiny antelopes. They might eat tubers,...but they become hunters at this time."
Pochron found that baboons prefer to eat fruits, leaves and food that is easy to gather. "Hunting takes a lot of effort for the reward."
James Paterson is a primatologist who also studies baboons. He has traveled to Africa for extended periods of fieldwork. "Everybody thinks it's nothing but fun," he says. "But it's actually a lot of hard work."
Being in the field means leaving the comforts of home behind. "You are in a different culture where the nearest Safeway is thousands of kilometers away," he says. During these times, you can start to miss familiar foods.
"Last time, I couldn't get any cheese," he says. On the plane ride home, Paterson was more than happy to find cheese on his airline dinner plate. "The stewards look at you kind of funny when you tell them where you've been, and ask for more and more pieces of cheese."
Deborah Fouts is a primatologist in Washington. She doesn't go out into the field to conduct her studies. Fouts and her husband operate the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, which houses five chimpanzees.
At the institute, which operates in conjunction with Central Washington University, the chimpanzees are part of a sign-language research program that has been operating since 1966.
In the beginning, the chimps were housed in small cages in the psychology building. But they have now moved to much larger facilities that have trees and natural grass habitats, play areas and plenty of room.
"We have dedicated our lives to enriching their situation," says Fouts. "We don't like that any chimpanzee is in captivity. But we do all we can to make their lives better."
The chimpanzees have amazing abilities with sign language. They can invent new signs and combine signs to create new ideas such as CRY-HURT-FOOD to symbolize a radish, or DRINK-FRUIT to symbolize a watermelon.
The older chimpanzees can teach their young sign language without human intervention. Chimps also use the language to communicate amongst themselves when humans aren't present.
Although the chimpanzees are part of a groundbreaking study, Fouts says it is difficult for her to see them in continued captivity. "It is heartbreaking that they are never going to get to leave," she says.
The institute runs chimposiums and educational seminars to raise money to improve the conditions of captive chimpanzees in other parts of the world.
Primatologists can use their skills to study any aspect of a primate's life -- delving into their feeding patterns, assessing their habitat or studying their communication skills and social interactions. "This is a job for people who truly love the animals," says Pochron.
Paterson agrees. "You have to acquire the right skills and then be very determined about it," he says. "Students that go on into this field are very passionate about the work."