One of the most controversial wildlife issues in the UK today is the role of badgers in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). A cross-disciplinary Oxford research team (led by David Macdonald and Adrian Smith) have identified badger-specific features of the immune response that may underpin badger susceptibility to bTB. Some of the results of this study also identify avenues that may be useful to boost the response to vacating badgers.

April 18, 2017

Attempts to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle cost the UK taxpayer c. £99 m/annum (2013–14), yet the problem continues to worsen. The benefits of culling badgers have been disputed and hope has turned to vaccinating them (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) has been promising when injected at tenfold the dose used on people). Indeed, ... Read full story

From the perspective of smaller predators, larger predators are a very mixed blessing, writes David Macdonald

April 6, 2017

Within the predatory guild, medium-sized jacks-of-all trades, like jackals, can benefit hugely from scraps from the bountiful tables of their larger carnivorous cousins, but in recent years repeated discoveries have revealed the mortal risks of intra-guild hostility where larger carnivores bully and, given the chance, kill smaller ones. I had these thoughts in mind when ... Read full story

WildCRU supports Women In Science

February 28, 2017

WildCRU researcher features in Oxford Sparks new podcast on wildlife tourism

April 12, 2017

"Should I take a selfie with a wild animal?" It's a question that you may have asked yourself on holiday. Tourist attractions that offer interactions with wild animals can have great benefits: they provide jobs, educate tourists, and benefit species conservation and animals' welfare. But many have negative impacts, on individual animals, and on their ... Read full story

The Oxford Format: Outbreeding Ideas for Conservation Success

March 29, 2017

Following the success of the Cecil Summit, David Macdonald and Guillaume Chapron have borrowed from diplomatic language to emphasise the power of Oxford Format meetings. A particular style of meetings, dubbed The Normandy Format, was originally fashioned to tackle the crisis facing Ukraine. The Oxford Format, involving enforced inter-disciplinarity, appears to be a fruitful ... Read full story

7 principles for ethical decision making in wildlife management

February 20, 2017

A globally diverse panel of 20 experts in wildlife conservation, management and welfare, including WildCRU’s Dr Sandra Baker, have produced the first international principles for ethical decision-making in wildlife management. The work took place through a process of facilitated engagement at a 2-day forum in Vancouver, hosted by the British Columbia SPCA and the University ... Read full story