WildCRU

In a world full of news articles, it's not always easy to tell which ones are really about wildlife and which just mention animal names in unrelated contexts (think certain car or sportswear brands). Diogo Veríssimo and a team of researchers are looking for your help. In just a few minutes, you can help scientists assess AI tools to efficiently make the distinction between wildlife and unrelated nature stories. Curious? Become a citizen scientist and help gather data needed to evaluate the filter’s accuracy, which will be a key tool to monitor human-wildlife conflict and improve wildlife conservation. Join here 👉 https://bit.ly/3DJ8A2B 📷 Image created by DALL-E. #AI #Nature #Wildlife #WildlifeResearch #CitizenScience University of Oxford Department of Biology, University of Oxford

In the wild, wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) distribute small objects, such as leaves or twigs to serve as points of reference during exploration. This research, published 21 years ago by Pavel Stopka and David Macdonald, recently featured in a new natural history series by Apple TV+ - The Secret Lives of Animals. Discover the research 👉 https://bit.ly/3W76os6 #Mouse #Mice #WoodMouse #Wildlife #WildlifeBehaviour #AnimalBiology #WildlifeResearch #Nature #NatureDocumentary #AppleTV Department of Biology, University of Oxford, University of Oxford

Applications are closing on 8th January for two doctoral research opportunities in wildlife conservation. Both projects are part of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme which supports conservation of this rare and threatened canid. Find out more 👉 https://bit.ly/4h198zq #PhD #PhDResearch #OxfordUni #OxfordUniApplication #Wildlife #WildlifeResearch #Conservation University of Oxford, Department of Biology, University of Oxford

Can leopards be identified from their roars? 🐆 Conservation requires accurate information about species occupancy, populations and behaviour but gathering these data can be challenging for elusive, solitary species, such as leopards (Panthera pardus). A new study led by Jonathan Growcott tested whether leopards could be individually distinguished by their roars, which could provide a new method to estimate leopard populations. Leopard calls consist of a repeated pattern of strokes which produce the iconic ‘sawing roar’ used for mate attraction, defence and marking territory. To test individual identification from roars, researchers conducted a large-scale acoustic monitoring and camera trapping survey at 50 locations in Nyerere National Park, Tanzania. Individual leopards were identified from their rosette patterns seen on camera trap images and associated audio captured at the same location was correlated with the leopard. The accuracy of identifying individual roars varied between 20.5% and 92.9% depending on the number of features analysed within the vocalisations. Higher accuracies occurred when the entire leopard roar was used to identify individuals. Overall, this study shows that combining audio and visual technologies can assess a wider variety of species traits to monitor and inform species conservation. Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4a25Uct Coauthored by WildCRU’s Charlotte Searle and Matthew Wijers. University of Oxford, University of Exeter, Lion Landscapes, Frankfurt Zoological Society / Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt, Tanzania National Parks, and Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. #Leopard #LeopardVocalisation #Wildlife #WildlifeResearch #AnimalBiology #AnimalBehaviour #Conservation

Hear Sophie Lund Rasmussen (aka Dr Hedgehog) address the European Parliament, sharing the threats that hedgehogs are facing and examples of her important research to keep the species from extinction. 🎥 Peter Alsted #Hedgehog #Conservation #Wildlife #WildlifeResearch42s

🎥 Exclusive footage you can’t miss! Have you heard about Ethiopian wolves lapping nectar? Captivating new visuals showcase the sweet behaviour in action in this new video! In The Conversation, #EWCP researcher Sandra Lai shares the fascinating tale behind this discovery and what it means for the Ethiopian Highlands. 👉 https://bit.ly/3ZYD7Ce #EthiopianWolves #Wolf #Wolves #Ethiopia #Wildlife #Nectar #Pollination #Pollinator #WildlifeBehaviour #Ecology #Conservation #WildlifeResearch University of Oxford Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme

With the festive season drawing near, WildCRU would like to wish everyone a wonderful end to 2024. Thank you to all who have supported and engaged with our work. Watch this space for more wildlife research and conservation news in 2025! Please note that WildCRU will be closed between 21st December and 1st January (inclusive). Happy holidays!

Harrison Carter appeared on The Case for Conservation Podcast to explore the world of biodiversity credits, which are being used to offset damages to biodiversity. Tune in to discover some of the technical and philosophical challenges of biodiversity credits. 👉 https://bit.ly/407UuRr #Biodiversity #BiodiversityCredit #SciencePodcast #Conservation #Wildlife

What is a unit of nature? A new paper investigates the growing voluntary biodiversity credits market and how effective investments are in supporting biodiversity. The study presents a framework to classify how biodiversity credit operators define a unit of nature, offering guidance for appropriate design and use. Read here 👉 https://bit.ly/3Bdu5bd Coauthored by WildCRU's Harrison Carter. With thanks to authors Hannah Wauchope, Sophus zu Ermgassen, Julia P G Jones, Henrike Schulte to Bühne and E.J. Milner-Gulland. #Biodiversity #BiodiversityCredit #Nature

A new #EWCP paper highlights concurrent outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper in Ethiopian wolves, with devastating outcomes of the dual disease threat to vulnerable populations. Surveillance and monitoring are vital for early detection and intervention. Read the paper👉 bit.ly/49Cun8g #EthiopianWolves #Ethiopia #Wildlife #WildlifeBiology #Conservation #EndangeredSpecies University of Oxford