I am a research fellow using modern conservation technologies to investigate metapopulation dynamics, demography, landscape connectivity, and human-wildlife conflict. I analyze the demographic structures of elephant populations to monitor and evaluate population health. Using remote sensing and telemetry data, I also examine how land use and protected area design influence elephant population growth and dispersal. Lastly, I study drivers of human-elephant conflict and work towards technological solutions to mitigate and prevent future conflict.
Links: ResearchGate; Google Scholar; ORCiD; LinkedIn
I am currently a student completing my PhD degree supervised by Dr. Bernard W.T. Coetzee and Dr. Robert A.R. Guldemond. I am doing a meta-analysis of the impact that elephants have on biodiversity and their ecological role. I am also working on understanding conflict between humans and elephants, and how we can better achieve human-elephant coexistence.
Links: LinkedIn; ORCiD; Google Scholar
I am a PhD student working under the supervision of Bernard Coetzee (UP), Robert Guldemond (UP), Yolandi Ernst (University of the Witwatersrand), and Stuart Pimm (Duke University). My research focuses on modelling elephant movement ecology across diverse landscapes. While my MSc research examined multiple protected areas across southern Africa, my PhD is centred on elephant movements within the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Through the lens of connectivity conservation, I aim to understand where elephants travel, what drives their movements, and how this knowledge can help link protected areas more effectively. To do this, I will model elephant movement patterns using multiple spatial datasets to identify key barriers and opportunities that shape their behaviour. Additionally, my research will explore the impact of human activities, climate change, and land use changes on elephant movement across landscapes.
Links: ORCiD; ResearchGate; Google Scholar; LinkedIn
As a Masters student under the guidance of Dr. Bernard W.T. Coetzee and Dr. Robert A.R. Guldemond, I am analysing the effects of large-scale translocations as conservation management actions on elephant populations.
Alannawillisodwyer1@hotmail.
I am a Bachelor student studying Macrobiology at Maastricht University, graduating in 2025. I am currently completing my thesis in collaboration with the Conservation Ecology Research Unit (CERU), under the supervision of Dr. Robert A.R. Guldemond. My research investigates the demographic effects of female contraception on elephant populations. Using data collected in Pilanesberg National Park, I project future population trajectories under varying contraception scenarios. This improves our understanding of how contraception affects growth rates and age structure, and to inform more effective use of contraception in elephant population management.
Links: LinkedIn
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