Caroline Tutin

Caroline Tutin is affiliated to the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Gabon and to the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Stirling, Scotland. After 30 years of full-time field research on the ecology and behaviour of wild chimpanzees and gorillas, her main focus is now on conservation. She conducted doctoral research on chimpanzee reproductive strategies at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, and post-doctoral studies of chimpanzee ecology in Senegal, and in 1980, was invited by CIRMF to conduct a nation-wide census of the chimpanzees and gorillas of Gabon. The census revealed the potential of Gabon for conservation of great apes and led to the establishment of a field station in the Lopé Reserve. Research conducted at Lopé over the past 20 years has documented the ecology of many species of large mammals, notably gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants, and elucidated the dynamics of tropical forest plant and animal communities. As Director of this centre from 1983 to 2001, Dr Tutin developed protocols for long-term monitoring of populations of gorillas, chimpanzees and their tropical rain forest habitat as well as training programmes for national and international students. Numerous national and international collaborations have allowed data on the natural history of the chimpanzees and gorillas at Lopé to contribute to developing Gabon’s conservation strategy and the gazetting of a network of 13 National Parks in 2002. Dr. Tutin is a member of the IUCN-SSC Primate Specialist Group and of the Great Ape Advisory Panel and has advised governments, international agencies and non-governmental organisations on policy and the implementation of conservation projects.