The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit

The planet’s human population increases by more than 200,000 people every day. At the same time, global consumption and inequality are rising. As a result, our planetary footprint is unsustainable, with ever more severe and intensifying pressure on finite natural resources throughout the world. The resulting environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change destroys nature and impacts human well-being. The mission of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research. Our research is used worldwide to advise environmental policy-makers. The need for our efforts is greater than ever.

Part of the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology, WildCRU is a pioneering, inter-disciplinary research unit in a world-class academic centre. We underpin solutions to conservation problems through primary scientific research of the highest calibre. Our approach is empirical, interdisciplinary and collaborative, seeking to include all four elements of our “Conservation Quartet” research to understand and address the problem; education to explain it; community involvement to ensure participation and acceptance; and implementation of long-term solutions.


Video narrated by Prof David Macdonald. Created by, and used with the kind permission of United for Wildlife: www.unitedforwildlife.org/

News

Exploring factors influencing the home range size of African Leopards

September 27, 2023

Large carnivores provide important ecosystem and economic services that help maintain healthy and diverse natural environments. Yet these species face numerous threats across the world from habitat loss ... Read full story

WildCRU Research Fellow Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen honoured at Science Festival in Denmark

September 20, 2023

Celebrating the upcoming Nobel Prize announcements of 2023, Politiken, the largest national newspaper in Denmark, has arranged a Science Festival in Copenhagen taking place on ... Read full story

Conservation in our own backyard: Dartford Warbler added to rare species sightings in Tubney

September 20, 2023

WildCRU visitor Dr Jan Kamler made an exciting avian discovery in Tubney this weekend. He recorded the call of a Dartford Warbler (Curruca undata) in ... Read full story

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