PROJECT | 01
MALE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
We know much less about male elephants than females, yet males could be more at risk from being involved in human-elephant conflict such as crop raiding. This includes:
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Extracting data on morphology, sexual state and more from photographs, by building on my previous work on those topics (with former post-doc in my lab Caitlin Black)
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Mapping male elephant social networks with post-doc Derek Murphy
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Determining genetic relatedness between males with PhD student Teresa Santos
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Recording vocal communication between males with post-doc Kaja Wierucka
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And more projects still to come.
PROJECT | 02
ELEPHANT WELFARE
We are studying how anthropogenic and environmental stressors can affect elephant health, welfare and thermoregulation. I'm collaborating with Dr. Janine Brown of the Smithsonian Institute and Tiger Tops in Nepal on this research.
PROJECT | 03
HUMAN-ELEPHANT INTERACTIONS
Elephants in captivity interact with conspecifics and humans. Rather than ignoring the relationships with humans, which can be very important, we aim to study them. We quantify human-elephant interactions and how learning from humans takes place. This is in collaboration with former RA Annaëlle Surreault.
PROJECT | 04
BEHAVIOUR
We are starting exciting new work on preferences of elephants, and sensory ecology. This is in collaboration with Tiger Tops in Nepal and Dr Joshua Plotnik.