From January 2026 to March 2026 we stood outside (yes, in ice and snow) to find out if zoo visitors (yes, they also showed up in ice and snow) could collect accurate behavioral data on eight capuchins at Kyoto City Zoo. Our results (currently in prep), shocked even the most optimistic of us!
Turn everyday visitor observations into key welfare indicators.
What we've accomplished so far:
During Japan's biggest holiday "Golden Week", from late April to early May, we collected behavioral data on four lemurs at Kyoto City Zoo with the goal of modeling what contextual and demographic factors impacted visitor accuracy. With these results we created correction factors that took perfectly imperfect data and turned them into key insights zookeepers could use to educate animal welfare choices.
We're not done, yet! Join us on our amazing citizen science journey, and be amazed at what the public can tell us about our animals.