Emeritus Professor Rudi van Aarde (1951-2023)

Emeritus Professor Rudi van Aarde (1951–2023) founded the Conservation Ecology Research Unit (CERU) in 1998. Within CERU, his research focused on the spatial structuring and dynamics of African savanna elephants across southern Africa, as well as the ecological restoration of coastal forest communities and the factors influencing their responses.

His work was supported by 23 independent funding organisations, industries, and government wildlife departments. Over the course of his career, Rudi authored or co-authored 210 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 13 book chapters, 127 technical reports, and 57 popular articles. He presented his research findings on 201 occasions at national and international conferences, often as an invited or guest speaker.

Rudi supervised 71 PhD and MSc students, and 11 postdoctoral fellows completed their research under his guidance. He also served as a council member of the Zoological Society of South Africa (ZSSA), the Royal Society of South Africa (RSSAf), and as president of the Southern African Wildlife Management Association (SAWMA).

The University of Pretoria honoured him on four occasions for his exceptional academic achievements. In 2018, SAWMA awarded him their Wildlife Excellence Award, and in 2024, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW UK) posthumously presented him with their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rudi’s life’s work culminated in his book Let Elephants Roam, which illustrates his scientific approach to elephant conservation and management—highlighting what works, what doesn’t, and the challenges that lie ahead for conservation across sub-Saharan Africa. The book is beautifully illustrated with his own photographs.