A new way to record lion roars and what it can tell us about the influence of environmental features on lion vocal behaviour

March 9, 2021

The long-distance roar of an African lion is an important behavioural trait that allows individuals to maintain territorial boundaries and to locate distant group members. Studying the species’ vocal behaviour is challenging as lions roar mostly at night and are difficult to follow in areas of thick vegetation. Matthew Wijers, as part of his ... Read full story

Joining the spots: leopard print fashion and big cat conservation

March 2, 2021

A leopard, so the saying goes, cannot change its spots – but could the fashion industry play its part in helping to reverse the decline of this charismatic species? ‘Yes’, say researchers at Oxford University, who explore in a new paper the extent of public interest in leopard print fashion, and whether this interest could be ... Read full story

Could COVID-19 lower global demand for illegal wildlife products?

February 11, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic might reduce consumer demand for wildlife-based products – but only temporarily on its own without additional interventions. This is the finding of a novel study by scientists at Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, in collaboration with World Animal Protection, published on the 4th February 2021 in the journal Frontiers in Ecology And Evolution. The ... Read full story

Launching Unseen Empire

March 2, 2021

Entering Unseen Empire, you can experience the extraordinary wildlife of forests in far flung corners of exotic habitats in Southeast Asia, and share the delights and challenges of undertaking a continent-wide conservation project. You can also follow the lives of remarkable fieldworkers, and be inspired by their achievements, as you discover the ultimate impact ... Read full story

WildCRU’s Laura Perry completes her DPhil viva

February 23, 2021

Congratulations to Laura Perry who has completed her DPhil viva from Mozambique over zoom, with thanks to her examiners Dr Andy Gosler and Dr Silvio Marchini. Conservation outcomes depend heavily on human behaviour, but very little research focuses on these decision-making processes. In her thesis, Laura used tools from social psychology to explore how different ... Read full story

WildCRU launches new conservation technology initiative

February 9, 2021

David Macdonald is excited to announce WildCRU’s role in launching the World’s First Conservation Venture Studio. This is a partnership between the University of Oxford, Global Accelerated Ventures, and the research commercialisation arm of the University, Oxford University Innovation. The Conservation Venture Studio will  rapidly accelerate novel technologies and innovative solutions addressing the world’s most ... Read full story