The animal tracking group at the department of Zoology, University of Oxford uses state of the art radiotracking of animals in order to understand the role of herbivores and humes in savanna-ecosystem functioning. The research group is headed by Prof. Dr. F. Vollrath, with a research interest in both the fields of spider silk, as well as animal tracking.
The group was founded to investigate the role of elephants in savanna landscapes. Elephants are ecologically important as landscape 'gardeners', they are economically important as tourist attractions and socio-politically elephants are important as destroyers of crops and thus in many areas as the key animal defining areas of serious human-wildlife conflict. The combse factors makes it important for us to accurately analyse not only the full range use by elephants but also focus on specific areas of special interest. This is now made possible by recent developments in radio tracking technology using location determination to meter accuracy by GPS global positioning satellite fixation.
Over the past 15 years Fritz Vollrath's group has built strong research-ties with Save the Elephants, an international charity led by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton. The publications by the joint research team have had frequent exposure in international and local press, and the teams work plays significant roles in international trading and hunting laws.
The success of the elephant tracking projects has resulted in interest by other research groups, and currently the research is in an expansion phase, where tracking data, sattelite information and landscape information are combined in a central database for mutliple tracking partners. We are building a network of tracking projects, with the aim of a full understanding of the eco-sociological functioning of the Ewaso Ecosystem.
The principal study site in Kenya is in the Ewaso Ecosystem where pastoralists coexist with large-scale cattle ranches, conservancies and National/Regional nature reserves and parks. In the northern part of the plateau, the Mukugodo Maasai own large group ranches under communal systems of land tenure and in some cases are pursuing wildlife conservation as a complementary livelihood to traditional transhumance pastoralism. Around the southern fringes of the area, small-scale farmers eke out a living on sub-divided ranches.
Producing Artificial Rhino Horn Prof. Fritz Vollrath and colleagues from the Fudan University in China have discovered a means to produce artificial Rhino horns using horse hair. Hopes are that this product may undermine the illegal market for rhino horn, demistify the properties of rhino horn and ultimately assist wildlife conservation. Article
San Diego Zoo Global honor two elephant researchers San Diego Zoo Global honored the work of two leading field biologists and researches Thursday who have dedicated their lives to saving elephants Article
Electronics Engineer for Elephant Tracking The Save the Elephants radio-tracking team seeks electronic engineer to work in-house on the next generation of high-level radio-collars
Five ways to scare off elephants Living amid wild animals is not easy, especially when the animal in your backyard is a large elephant Full Article
Elephant poaching deaths reach tipping point in Africa Africa's elephants have reached a tipping point: more are being killed each year than are being born, a study says. Full Article
How locals and conservationists saved the elephants of Mali amidst conflict and poverty At a time when Africa's elephants are facing a relentless poaching crisis - to the tune of over 20,000 dead every year - one community has managed to safeguard their elephants in the most unlikely of places: Mali.Full Article
Do elephants call "human!"? New collaborative research shows that African elephant alarm calls distinguish between threats from humans and bees. Full Article
Li BingBing's mini-documentary on elephants and ivory poaching To mark World Wildlife Day we have launched a short film with UNEP's Goodwill Ambassador Li BingBing to share the wonder of elephants and spread the message of the horrific impacts of poaching. Full Article
Michelle Henley wins the 2013 WESSA National Award For her extensive contribution to the understanding of elephant migratory behaviour and for the use of this information towards insights into their environmental impact and towards anti-poaching efforts. Full Article
Protecting Mali's Elephants Until 2012 the Gourma elephants escaped the ivory poaching crisis that is sweeping across Africa. In 2012 three were killed, despite the poor quality of their tusks. Full Article
Yao Ming Says No to Ivory and Rhino Horn Former NBA star and Chinese icon, Yao Ming, launches a major public awareness campaign targeting consumption of ivory and rhino horn in China in partnership with WildAid, Save the Elephants, African Wildlife Foundation, and the Yao Ming Foundation. Full Article
Mali's Fragile Elephant Population at Risk Due to the recent surge of violence in Mali, led by Extremists in the North, the outlook for Mali's Gourma Elephants looks increasingly concerning. Full Article
Kenya: Elephants Risk Extinction Due to Poaching
An interview with Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton on the threat to elephants by increased poaching due to the increased demand for ivory. Full Article
Conserving large carnivores: dollars and fence
A new study on the conservation of lions demonstrating the a clear benefit to lion population by the use of fencing to protect both people and wildlife. Full Article
From Elephants’ Mouths, an Illicit Trail to China "The Chinese hold the key to the elephants' future. If things continue the way they are, many countries could lose their elephants altogether."
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants. Full Article
Blood Ivory
An Op-Ed in the New York Times about the continued increase in elephants killed for their ivory to fuel China's growing demand. Full Article
Ivory Poaching Threatens ‘Elephant Memory’ The large number of mature and experienced African elephants being killed illegally for their ivory is exposing young surviving elephants to a higher risk of mortality from predation and other risks, wildlife conservationists said today. Full Article
New report confirms ‘major surge’ in ivory smuggling in 2011 Illegal trade in ivory is at its highest levels in nearly two decades, and 2011 witnessed a ‘major surge’, according to a report released by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Full Article
Violence in Mali Threatening Survival of Endangered Elephants
University of British Columbia and Oxford University researchers have revealed the secrets of survival of an endangered population of African elephants in the unforgiving Sahara desert. The animals have the largest migration among elephants, the study finds, but recent violence in Mali may now be putting them at risk. Full article
New Book by Clive Hambler & Susan Canney: Conservation
Further information here. Until 31st December, 20% discount on order here
Mali mobilizes to protect the desert elephants Despite the significant unrest and political turmoil in Mali over the past 7 months, WILD & the International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC) are glad to report that our Mali Elephant Project (MEP) has continued to work with the local communities and create a multifaceted response to protect the desert elephants in conjunction with the Mali government. Full Article
Dr. Lucy King talks about her research on BBC radio BBC radio interview about an alarm call elephants produce when threatened by bees. Listen here
Conservationists use new tactics in the battle with poachers
Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is heading an ambitious new initiative to inform affluent Chinese of the effect increased demand for ivory in China is having on elephant numbers. Full Article
