ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD),
NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY, UK
October 2008 - February 2014
Thesis
Comparative abundance and ranging behaviour of brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) inside and outside protected areas in South Africa.
Synopsis
To understand the fundamental reasons behind the differences in density and distribution of brown hyaena between protected areas unprotected farmland across South Africa. The North West and Limpopo provinces act as the detailed case study areas in which all the fieldwork was undertaken. A suite of tools has been used to collect and analyse the data, including: remote camera trapping, radio tracking, spatial modelling and questionnaires.
MSC CONSERVATION BIODIVERSITY, DURRELL INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF KENT, UK
September 2005 - 2006
Thesis
Assessing wildlife distribution and population trends in the Greater Mara Ecosystem, Kenya: the synergistic effects of landscapes and threats.
Synopsis
The project comprised of wildlife monitoring via data collection using fixed transects and managing a team of community scouts. The project was part of a wider three years Darwin Initiative project and partnered with the NGO, Friends of Conservation, Kenya. The results were presented at the 2007 Student Conference Conservation Science in Cambridge. My dissertation was praised by Wildlife Conservation Society and the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group.
BSC GEOGRAPHY & BIOLOGY,
LANCASTER UNIVERSITY, UK
September 2001 - July 2004
Dissertation
To determine the impact of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) on the movements and behaviour of resident cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) inside the Mara Triangle, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
Synopsis
Six weeks of field research was conducted into cheetah movements and behaviour in relation to spotted hyaena presence across the Mara Triangle. As well as cataloguing and identification of cheetah and spotted hyaena within the study area, mapping of the area’s geographical features using handheld GPS and GIS software (Animal Movement Analysis ArcView Extension).
BRYANSTON SCHOOL, DORSET, UK
September 1995 - June 2000