WildCRU 2023 Impact Report now available

08/07/2024

“Science and conservation action are deeply entwined within WildCRU's DNA, with each informing the other to understand and tackle some of the most challenging issues facing biodiversity today”, says Professor Amy Dickman, Director of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU). The breadth of these challenges, and the diversity of WildCRU’s work ... Read full story

Identifying and assessing survey methods for estimating lion population abundance

10/06/2024

Understanding the population status of a species is vital for their conservation. Over the last two decades, multiple methods for surveying lion (Panthera leo) populations have been designed and tested. A new study led by Samantha Nicholson, with WildCRU’s Hans Bauer and other authors conducted a PRISMA systematic review to identify and assess ... Read full story

Exploring the social acceptability of trophy hunting

16/02/2024

Fierce international debates rage over whether trophy hunting is socially acceptable, especially when people from the Global North hunt well-known animals in sub-Saharan Africa. But how much do we really know about how acceptable or unacceptable members of the public perceive trophy hunting to be? And are some forms of hunting less acceptable or more ... Read full story

Moving from Tubney House to the new Life and Mind Building in October 2025

15/06/2024

Nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside, Tubney House has been the headquarters of WildCRU for 20 years since 2004, representing more than half of our history. When our founder Professor David Macdonald established the WildCRU in 1986, he could scarcely have dreamt how the move to Tubney House would facilitate our growth, impact ... Read full story

Camera trap survey training in Tanzania

16/04/2024

WildCRU-affiliated project Lion Landscapes recently delivered a training workshop for Tanzanian wildlife researchers on carrying out camera trap surveys to estimate large carnivore population density. The training took place at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) HQ in Arusha and was attended by 18 early-career TAWIRI researchers, a third of whom were ... Read full story

Identifying and protecting key wildlife corridors in KAZA

07/02/2024

The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) is one of the world’s largest Transfrontier Conservation Initiatives, spanning 520 000 square kilometres across Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe. For conservation purposes, this region is divided into 6 key Wildlife Dispersal Areas (WDAs), with the aim of improving sustainable livelihood opportunities and ... Read full story