The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
The planet’s human population increases by more than 200,000 people every day. This exerts 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 Zoology, 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
Effects of publication bias on conservation planning
April 15, 2019
We may be able to see everywhere, but we don't know everything: David Macdonald reports on a remarkable study led by WildCRU's Raffael Hickisch which reveals an ... Read full story
Dr Sandra Baker presents at animal welfare conference
April 3, 2019
WildCRU’s Dr Sandra Baker spoke at the Wild Animal Welfare Committee conference in Edinburgh on 27th March. The conference theme was Who are the guardians of wild animal ... Read full story
WildCRU to co-host 2020 International Conference on Human-wildlife Conflict and Coexistence
March 7, 2019
Dr Alexandra Zimmermann, Chair of the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force, and WildCRU Director Professor David Macdonald are pleased to announce that we will be co-organising ... Read full story