Canisius University's Team Ape

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Canisius University's Team Ape

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"Team Ape," formed by Canisius College's Dr. Sue Margulis, is a research team developed to study primate behavior and endocrinology.

Members of Team Ape collect observational behavior data of the gorilla troop at the Buffalo Zoo. With at least one student collecting data daily, this helps form a "baseline" of the troop's behavior that can then be evaluated. Projects of the team include impacts of different types of enrichment on behavior, space use in the exhibit, infant development, group social dynamics, and the current study of eye tracking led by the team's own Sydney Chertoff. Another responsibility of the team is to explore the patterns of stress hormones and reproductive patterns through fecal samples sent in from zoos and organizations across the country!

10/27/2026

Congrats to alumni Chase LaDue!

We are thrilled to share that the OKC Zoo's Curator of Research, Chase LaDue, has been named on the 2026 blooloop 50 Zoo & Aquarium Influencer List! 🎉

This list celebrates individuals whose passion is transforming the future of conservation, making a true impact over the last year. Chase was recognized for his studies on the wellbeing and long-term sustainability of zoo-housed populations, with a focus on Asian elephants. His research translated scientific findings into practical improvements in animal care, and he also leads collaborative research into the relationship between musth (a state of high testosterone in bull elephants) and elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Chase is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Sri Lanka Elephant Project (SLEP), a program investigating elephant behavior, physiology, and healthy coexistence between humans and elephants.

Join us in congratulating Chase on this amazing recognition! 💚 Learn more about Chase's conservation efforts with EEHV and SLEP today by visiting https://blooloop.com/chase-ladue/

10/13/2026

Heading back to Buffalo after a 4-day, 6-zoo road trip. Had the opportunity to reconnect with so many Canisius and Team Ape alumni, as well as 1 special white-cheeked gibbon friend!!

09/24/2026

08/03/2026

Lots of activity at the zoo today!

07/23/2026

Check out Team Ape alumni Erica Meehan. Happy National Zookeepers week!

🐻National Zookeepers Week
Keeper Spotlight: Erica Meehan

Erica has been part of the Zoo New York team since February 2025 and can usually be found caring for the bears, elk, porcupines or bobcat, often while carrying buckets and somehow ending up covered in hay.

Her workday fuel of choice is a Dunkin’ Refresher and a maple-frosted donut, and one of her special talents is creating new cognitive enrichment ideas that encourage the animals to think, explore and stay engaged.

Two of her favorite animals to work with are Willow the Rocky Mountain elk and Oneida the North American porcupine because, according to Erica, they are both incredibly sweet and a little goofy.

Outside of the zoo, Erica enjoys going on adventures with her dog, Sage, swimming and running. She also has an impressive background in animal behavior research, with 10 years of experience studying species such as cedar waxwings, a common octopus and western lowland gorillas. She is currently conducting behavioral research with Zoo New York’s female North American black bears.

One thing guests may not realize about being a zookeeper? A very large part of the job involves picking up animal p**p. It may not always be glamorous, but Erica brings knowledge, creativity and dedication to the animals she cares for every day.

Her conservation status before coffee: **Stable.** 😂

The next time you see Erica around the zoo, be sure to say hello and thank her for the knowledge, creativity and dedication she brings to the animals in her care.

06/12/2026

The zoo’s new black and white ruffed lemurs are definitely making their presence known!

05/18/2026

Our research was highlighted!

A study published in the Journal of Zoo & Aquarium Research investigated the behavioural responses of three aquarium-housed elasmobranch species to crowd size in a touch pool exhibit:

🦈4 whitespotted bamboo sharks, 3 Atlantic stingrays and 5 yellow stingrays.

🦈458 observations (1-minute intervals, 5 minutes per hour multiple times a week over a period of 14 months).

🦈All species, and particularly the stingrays, avoided the pool ledge when crowd sizes were high.

🦈Findings suggest human/touch-avoidance behaviour, with potential implications for animal welfare.

Read paper (open access): https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/951

05/06/2026

Check out this article about our spring break trip to Lisbon and Barcelona!

Faculty-led experience blends conservation, culture and experiential learning

05/06/2026

The gorillas are psyched for tonight’s Sabres game!!

04/30/2026

Congrats to Team Ape alumni Julia Galante and Amanda Ostroske on their newly published research (not on apes :-))

Address

2001 Main Street
Buffalo, NY
14208

Website

https://blogs.canisius.edu/margulis/research/

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