Biology major Makayla Aycock, who aspires to be a wildlife researcher and conservationist, is spending her summer conducting animal research thanks to a partnership between Georgia State biologist Rachel Santymire and Zoo Atlanta.

Aycock and other Georgia State students taking Santymire’s GSU internship course are researching the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on four different bird species at the zoo — the Chilean flamingos, tawny frogmouths, milky eagle owls and blue-throated macaws.

The interns aim to uncover how ALAN impacts these birds, provide crucial insights into their well-being and work with the zoo to better understand and explore how Zoo Atlanta’s events impact these animals.

For Aycock, the internship provides her with valuable experience for her future career.

“The internship is awesome. I get to learn how to do behavior observations which I think will be useful when I’m in the field,” Aycock said. “I love learning about animals, and I enjoy finding different ways to help animals.”

As part of the internship, students conducted behavior analysis of the four bird species during IllumiNights at the zoo, a lantern festival where visitors can view handmade LED-powered lanterns representing nature. The festival was held from November 2023 to January 2024.

Along with the zoo’s research team, the interns used an app called Zoo Monitor® to help collect daily behavioral observations from October 2023 through March 2024. The zoo staff also collected droppings and feather samples from the birds which will be used to extract hormones and evaluate the effects of ALAN on bird physiology.

This summer, interns are learning how to extract hormones from the droppings and feather samples to monitor the birds’ hormone levels.

“I would go to the zoo twice a week to perform observations and now we’re learning about feather analysis,” Aycock said. “The feather analysis is something researchers are starting to do, so this learning experience has been very valuable.”

Santymire has been researching the health and behavior of free-range animals and animals in human care for years. Zoo Atlanta asked for Santymire’s help researching the impact of ALAN on animals during IllumiNights at the zoo because of her expertise in wildlife physiology.

“There’s a balance that zoos have. They must bring in enough revenue to support the care of the animals and enable the continuing of conservation programs and partnerships for wild animals and their habitats around the world. However, to ensure that what occurs at the zoo isn’t harmful to the animals, we use research to evaluate their health and well-being,” Santymire said.

Zoo Atlanta has welfare and research staff, and they often partner with universities for access to measures unavailable to them, such as hormonal assays.

Santymire said the interns collected the majority of the behavioral data used in her research and stressed the importance of students utilizing internship opportunities.

“I tell my students all the time, ‘You have to do internships. You have to stick with it.’ Internships allow students to determine what kind of career they want,” Santymire said. “It’s not always glamorous, but they learn and gain so many skills, which are important for their career.”

Chemistry major Daneca Farrin completed two internships with Santymire at Zoo Atlanta and is now entering her second semester of undergraduate research with Santymire.

With just one year left before graduation, Farrin dreams of becoming an exotic species veterinarian. She said her internship experience helped build her confidence in conducting research.

“I admire Dr. Santymire so much. She’s a wonderful teacher and I’ve learned so much about how to conduct behavioral observations,” Farrin said. “The internship helped me feel more confident and made me feel more comfortable. That’s important when looking for a job in this field.”