Education
Ph.D., Duke University, 1985
M.A., Anthropology, Arizona State University, 1978
B.A., Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, 1976
Regional and Thematic Interests
Southeast Asia
Environment
Profile
My research focuses on the behavioral ecology and conservation of endangered colobine monkeys of Vietnam. Since 2004 I have been involved in the Khau Ca Forest Tonkin snub-nosed monkey conservation project in Ha Giang Province. Survey, census and behavioral data reveal that the population at Khau Ca is presently stable and increasing in size. Initial behavioral ecological data including information on feeding, habitat preference, social organization, and ranging behavior have been collected and are being used to help plan a forest expansion and rehabilitation program. These activities have provided the impetus for the Vietnam government to support the establishment of a species/habitat conservation area at Khau Ca in 2009. Since 2008 I have been working with colleagues from the Center for Biodiversity and Development (CBD) of Ho Chi Minh City on a project at Ta Kou Nature Reserve in Binh Thuan Province. Research activities include comparing the behavioral ecology of sympatric populations of Annamese silvered langurs and black-shanked doucs to better understand relationships between morphology, behavior, adaptation, and evolution. We are also engaged in a series of biodiversity conservation actions at Ta Kou including planning eco-tourism programs targeting primate and bird watching. CBD and I are also partnering on a silvered langur conservation and behavioral ecology project in the Kien Luong Karst area of Kien Giang Province and gibbon and leaf monkey conservation project at Bu Gia Map National Park, Binh Phuoc Province.
Selected Publications
2008 Wright, B.W., L. Ulibarri, J.A. O’Brien, B. Sadler, R. Prodhan, H.H. Covert, and T. Nadler. “It’s Tough Out There: Variation in the Toughness of Ingested Leaves and Feeding Behavior among Four Colobinae in Vietnam.” International Journal of Primatology 29: 1455-1466.
2008 Wright, K.W., N.J. Stevens, H.H. Covert, and T. Nadler. “Comparisons of Suspensory Behaviors Among Pygathrix cinerea, P. nemaeus, and Nomascus leucogenys in Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam.” International Journal of Primatology 29: 1467-1480.