Andrew R. Halloran PhD
With over 25 years of experience overseeing the care of animals in managed populations, Dr. Halloran is a recognised expert in animal care and welfare. During his career, Dr. Halloran has developed animal care protocols, authored philosophies of care, designed enclosures, organized staffing structures, created enrichment programs, facilitated programs of veterinary care, overseen operant conditioning procedures, developed staff training programs, facilitated continuing education through workshops and lectures, overseen animal safety protocols, developed behavioral assessments for various species, raised funds, and most other aspects of caring for animals.
As the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior & Care for one of the largest chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world (Save the Chimps), Dr. Halloran oversaw the successful social introductions of over 250 chimpanzees. Because of this work, these chimpanzees lived with 24 hour access to 5 acre habitats and the sanctuary was able to realize its goal of providing freedom of choice and a rich social environment to their resident chimpanzees.
Though Dr. Halloran specializes in the care of primates, he is well versed in the care of other taxon. Beyond this, Dr. Halloran’s collegial network within the Elgin Center allows the center to provide expert consultation on the care and welfare of any manner of animal species.
In addition to his work with animals in managed population, Dr. Halloran operates a conservation project for wild chimpanzees called The Tonkolili Chimpanzee Project in central Sierra Leone. This project seeks to mitigate conflict between wild chimpanzees living in fragmented forests and their human neighbors through providing economic incentives, alternative agriculture, and methods to ensure that the last remaining habitat for these chimpanzees is preserved.
Dr. Halloran is the author of several scientific papers as well as the books Song of the Ape (2012, St. Martin’s Press), Lion Shaped Mountain (2021, Elgin Press), and the textbook Animal Curation: The science of care & welfare (2024, Cambridge University Press).
Watch videos of Dr. Halloran’s work below:
Andrew Halloran on Individualized Care in Chimpanzees
Andrew Halloran on Vanilla the Chimp seeing the Sky for the First Time