Zoos and sanctuaries requesting participation in the ChimpanZoo program have many questions. Most frequently asked is "What do I get from being part of the program?"

The answer to this question depends on the person asking: the zoo or sanctuary administrator benefits from positive publicity, research information about their chimpanzee community (comparable to other chimpanzee communities), data for public presentations, fund raising opportunities, a morale boost for staff and volunteers, and an opportunity to showcase their zoo or sanctuary at annual conferences. All of these benefits are important ingredients in any fund raising campaign.

The research director's compensation is an established research program that works. The ChimpanZoo research program's ethogram and software for data collection were designed by a consortium of scientists and tested in zoos, then revised, making data collection more comprehensive and easier to teach and use. The data collection system includes software programs especially designed for testing the reliability of observers (within a zoo and between zoos), in addition to software that computes a kappa score of reliability. Data recorded can be retrieved for one zoo in particular or combined with data from other participating zoos, for one chimpanzee or several, meeting specified criteria. Lastly, data for publications are easily extracted for presentation. For example, one participating zoo built a modern enclosure that keepers believed lacked sufficient zoo furniture or architectural design for young chimpanzees to develop good muscle tone and for adults to exercise sufficiently for good health. Data collected from ChimpanZoo observers showed that the chimpanzees moved about the enclosure little, staying in one shaded area. The Board of Directors of the zoo voted to build a climbing structure of several tiers with ropes for swinging and a much needed expanded shaded area. Subsequent data revealed that the new structure was used extensively.

Zoo volunteers have access to educational opportunities such as classroom instruction in chimpanzee behavior, biology, and conservation. Volunteers are also taught data collection techniques and are given the opportunity to conduct research and a medium for the presentation of their research at annual ChimpanZoo Conferences. Bound and distributed compilations of papers presented at annual conferences, or Conference Proceedings, are published and reside in the libraries of chimpanzee research facilities, such as the Wisconsin Regional Primate Information Center and the National Primate Research Center. Annual Proceedings are also purchased by individuals and other institutions.

Participation in ChimpanZoo also benefits chimpanzee keepers by encouraging and providing enrichment ideas, information on chimpanzees and opportunities to exchange information with colleagues. Keepers may work as local coordinators and observers, recording and delivering information from their studies.

Participating zoos work with faculty advisors from local universities. Academic advisers also benefit from the program through access to data collected for publications. Data may also be used for special studies independently funded. ChimpanZoo data provides an excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate students.

All of the arduous work designing and establishing ChimpanZoo would be wasted if the chimpanzees did not benefit from the program. In addition to the aforementioned assistance with structural designs of chimpanzee enclosures, ChimpanZoo has provided valuable information about husbandry techniques, infant care and aging needs, and other enrichment programs that directly improve the quality of life for chimpanzees.

The second most frequently asked question is "What is it going to cost me?" ChimpanZoo data collection materials are inexpensive and can be used with conventional computer systems. An employee of the participant zoo is designated to keep the zoo director and the director of ChimpanZoo informed of program activities. Communication is also accomplished through monthly reports, ChimpanZoo List Serve, newsletters, conferences and site visits. In addition, each zoo has an on site coordinator to work with local volunteer observers and to facilitate communication between the participating zoo and ChimpanZoo central. The Program charges a small fee for newsletters, requests funding for its program materials and asks that the zoo sponsor a delegate to annual conferences.

I believe that the rewards of participating in ChimpanZoo enormously justify the small financial costs. ChimpanZoo provides an invaluable opportunity for us to record the genealogy, life history, personality traits, and behavior of chimpanzees in zoos and sanctuaries while fulfilling our obligations to learn more about them and provide the best living environment and care possible.