So, time for a brief update on the general goings-on at Camp MRes…
As spring rolls into summer, we are now entering the last few months of the course (eek!) and are at varying stages with our data collection. Laura has now joined Rob in returning home from field work, and is trying to acclimatise to life back in the UK after 10 weeks in the African bush. Nat is working her way through a manual in preparation for using elephant identification software in Kenya. Eleanor is zipping between Eelmoor Marsh and the labs at Marwell to identify some invertebrates found through her sampling. And Dani and I remain at our desks, incredibly happy with the current response rate to our requests for information from partners, to assist with our research.
A collared lioness at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, where Laura undertook her fieldwork
And now for a little bit about what the last couple of months have involved for me, Rachel…
My research aims to identify the factors which result in successful reintroduction projects using captive-bred animals, and also to try and find out the amount and type of contribution that zoos in particular make in this field. Such projects include the reintroduction of scimitar-horned oryx to Tunisia, which Marwell has been heavily involved with (and now Rob has seen first-hand through his travels!). Marwell’s sand lizards, which we have all been helping to feed and water over our time here, are also part of a release program, providing offspring to populate a number of heathland sites in the south of the UK.
A scimitar-horned oryx spotted by Rob in Tunisia
In order to research this area, a questionnaire has been sent to zoos across Europe. I, somewhat optimistically, initially scheduled in a week or two to write my questionnaire…. Around 3-4 weeks and 9 drafts later (including a pilot test-run)…. it was finally ready to go! I asked for some basic information from zoos initially, through an e-mail kindly distributed by EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) to their members, and also sent on to some targeted groups of individuals. I would then e-mail the full questionnaire to people as they replied and said they were happy to receive it.
And… my inbox has been buzzing ever since! The initial e-mail response rate has been overwhelming – and the further replies and completion of the, somewhat extensive, 14-page questionnaire has surpassed expectations! What’s more, replies are still very much in-coming. I am incredibly excited to see what my analysis of the data people have so kindly given up their time to provide, will show.
We are very glad to have ‘our herd’ back together again for a few weeks and are still continuing with our public engagement sessions, helping to take care of the sand lizards (which will soon involve a full check-up of the population – watch this space), and there may even be another extra-curricular project or two to get involved with over the next couple of months…
Until then, we are having great fun with Marwell’s latest residents!
Nat and #HappyDinosaur : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoWeHw_ny40
Posted By : rsg1e13