I have been with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit since 1996. My field of expertise is small carnivore ecology, behaviour, and conservation and so my work often (but not always) focuses on these species. Currently, the main focus of my research is animal welfare in conservation. I am interested in how, when, and where animal welfare complements or conflicts with conservation, how we measure animal welfare in the wild, and how individual animal well-being relates to population-level parameters. Other research interests include animal reintroductions (or conservation translocations) and human ‘uses’ of wildlife (e.g. as exotic pets, or in tourism), including the role of social media in driving demand for these and other wildlife products.
I have a Masters in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and a DPhil in Zoology from Oxford University. My DPhil research focused on interactions between American mink and native mustelids in the UK and I retain an on-going interest and professional involvement in the management of American mink as an invasive species in Europe and restoration of the Critically Endangered European mink in Europe.
