Canisius University's Team Ape

Canisius University's Team Ape "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!

Our research was highlighted!
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

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

The gorillas are psyched for tonight’s Sabres game!!
05/06/2026

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

Congrats to Team Ape alumni Julia Galante and Amanda Ostroske on their newly published research (not on apes :-))
04/30/2026

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

Team Ape helped celebrate “APE-ril” at the Buffalo Zoo!
04/18/2026

Team Ape helped celebrate “APE-ril” at the Buffalo Zoo!

Another successful Ignatian Scholarship Day for Team Ape. Not pictured: Nic Grebenok, who gave an outstanding talk on hi...
04/15/2026

Another successful Ignatian Scholarship Day for Team Ape. Not pictured: Nic Grebenok, who gave an outstanding talk on his genetic analyses on white-cheeked gibbons (I was too busy listening to take a picture).

Team Ape will be there for APE-ril!
04/08/2026

Team Ape will be there for APE-ril!

Hi there Team Ape alumni and friends! Tomorrow is Canisius Giving Day. If you are able, please consider making a donatio...
03/24/2026

Hi there Team Ape alumni and friends! Tomorrow is Canisius Giving Day. If you are able, please consider making a donation to support our students.

It was a cold day at the zoo today…but Luna didn’t mind. I started some practice observations for a new mixed species ex...
01/20/2026

It was a cold day at the zoo today…but Luna didn’t mind. I started some practice observations for a new mixed species exhibit study: meerkats and von der dekens hornbills

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2001 Main Street
Buffalo, NY
14208

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