Samantha Monier PhD
monier.samantha@gmail.com
Monkey Island,
Puerto Rico
Cayo Santiago is home to over a thousand rhesus macaques that, while partially provisioned, self-organize into groups and compete for access to resources. No people live on the island. I helped collect data for a suite of on-going cognition projects on the island for my Master’s, developing my own questions regarding the ecological drivers of cognitive ability
To minimize contact with (and harassment by!) the monkeys, researchers eat and store their packs in one of two “lunch cages” on the island
A view of Cayo from mainland Puerto Rico. Vieques can be seen in the background.
This iguana commandeered the monkeys’ water trough. Rainwater is stored on the island and flows freely into these troughs to provide the monkeys supplemental water during dry spells
A good idea not to ignore this sign! Rhesus monkeys are all potential carriers of Herpes B, which is communicable through body fluid contact