Collaborative Studies  

Providing Resources for Conservation Research and Research Training

White Oak Conservation Center also collaborates with numerous other research, government or educational institutions by providing valuable resources such as access to animals for studies, or biological samples.

Past collaborations have included:

• Allowing access to cheetahs for a behavioral study to examine mate choice    with St Louis Zoo.

• Allowing access to cheetahs for a behavioral study to look at personality and how that may relate to stress with Brookfield Zoo.                           

• Providing fecal samples from various species for a student project to examine parasite loads with Auburn University.

• Shipping fecal samples from all four species of rhino to train dogs for tracking the highly endangered Javan rhino with World Wildlife Fund US.

• Collecting behavioral data from Cassowaries using a specially adapted Palm pilot for a multi-institution behavioral project with Brookfield Zoo.

• Collecting blood samples from our carnivore species to assist with developing PCR techniques to detect the blood parasite, Cytoxzoon felis, with Texas A&M.

• Sending banked serum samples to assist with development of tests that indicate the immune status of non-domestic hoofstock species with ZeptoMetrix Corp

• Providing access to roan and addra gazelle herds for a behavioral study investigating herd social dynamics with Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

• Combining annual exams in our cheetah collection with semen collection to investigate sperm metabolism with Smithsonian’s Conservation & Research Center.