Chloé Couturier

For seven years, I am working for great ape conservation, with a background in behavioral ecology and anthropology. During my PhD research, at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Sorbonne University, France), I investigated human-chimpanzee interactions at the northern edge of Kibale National Park, Uganda. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, I explored the influence of proximity to croplands on chimpanzee’s behavior and energy balance, and ways of improving coexistence with farmers and reduce pressures on wildlife. I also have a strong interest in science education, psychology and arts, as important tools to increase public awareness on the current biodiversity crisis.

I am currently working with Dr. Lydia Luncz in the Technological Primate group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. During this postdoctoral position, I aim to explore the mutual influence of two other aspects in chimpanzee behavior: tool-use and sociality. Through the example of the Djouroutou community in Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, I am interested in studying individual and social features leading to high-skilled nut-cracking chimpanzees, and the social strategies influencing this behavior learning.

Krief, S., Spirhanzlova, P., Masi, S., Couturier, C., Okwir, E., Asalu, E., Bustamante, P. & Costantini, D. (2023). High urinary DNA damage in wild chimpanzees ranging in proximity of agricultural fields in Sebitoli area, Uganda. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
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Couturier, C., Lacroux, C., Okimat, J. P., Asalu, E., & Krief, S. (2022). Inter-individual differences in crop foraging behavior of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at a forest-agriculture interface.Journal of Mammalogy, 104(2), 387-400.
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Couturier, C., Bortolamiol, S., Ortmann, S., Okimat, J.-P., Asalu, E., & Krief, S. (2022). All-You-Can-Eat: Influence of Proximity to Maize Gardens on the Wild Diet and the Forest Activities of the Sebitoli Chimpanzee Community in Kibale National Park. Animals, 12(7), 806.
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Couturier, C. (2022). Chimpanzees in a maize garden: consequences of proximity to crop lands on wildlife and local people. [PhD Thesis]. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Fondation pour la Nature et l'Homme, Sorbonne Université.

Krief, S., Couturier, C., Bonnald, J., Okimat, J. P., Asalu, E., & Krief, J.-M. (2020). COVID-19 and chimpanzees from a field perspective: Mitigation measures, ecological and economical situation after four months in Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Pan African News, 27(2), 16‑20.
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Couturier, C. (2016). Variations in energy expenditure of wild chimpanzees in an anthropized environment. Preliminary study in the north of Kibale National Park. [MSc Thesis]. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Master Evolution, Dynamique des Territoires et des Sociétés.