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Thandiwe Mweetwa

Thandi has a BSc in Applied Animal Biology from the University of British Columbia. Her areas of interest include wildlife ecology and management, population dynamics, community-based conservation and the application of citizen-science in monitoring populations of large mammals. Since 2009, she has worked with the Zambian Carnivore Programme conducting research on large carnivores and their prey in eastern Zambia.

Thandi finished her masters program in December 2016.  It is hard to keep up with all she is doing back in Zambia with the Zambian Carnivore Programme!

 

 
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big question

Thandi is interested in studying population dynamics of species in increasingly human-altered/impacted ecosystems. Her work focuses on investigating the influence of anthropogenic impacts on wildlife demography and assessing the effectiveness of regional and countrywide wildlife management policies. She is also interested in studying the effective ways of integrating local communities in the protection of mega-fauna and their habitats.

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approach

Thandi tracks and indentifies indivudal African lions in South Luangwa National Park and its Game Management Areas (GMA) in eastern Zambia.Trophy hunting of male lions is allowed in the GMAs and a 3 year ban on hunting has just been lifted (2016). Detectuin histories of of >300 Luangwa lions should reveal how the population has responded to the ban on hunting by comparing pre and post ban demographic rates such as age and sex specific survival. The effects of snaring on lions in and outside protected areas is also being explored as is  reproductive activity with a view to estimating pregnancy rates and cub survival.

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analysis

CMR models will estimate and compare age and sex specific survival before and after the ban on trophy hunting. Mixed effects models will estimate the effects on pregnancy rates from non-invasive fecal pregnancy hormone analysis.

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impact

The human population has grown rapidly in the GMAs resulting in a high level of human encroachment, poaching and wire snaring, which all negatively impacts lion populations. This work will be instrumental in guiding management of hunted species experiencing an array of threats due to human activities. The study will provide the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife with information on the impact of conservation actions on the species. Another goal of the project is to highlight the complexity of managing wildlife in the presence of increasing human pressure on ecosystems.

more on Thandi

 
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National Geographic 2016 Emerging Explorers

Thandi was listed as a 2016 National Geographic Emerging Explorer and profiled here.
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BBC One The Hunt: Episode 7

Thandi and colleague, Henry Mwape, are profiled here by Sir David Attenborough and Thandi discusses the importance of outreach.
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UANews: A Wildcat Amid the Wild's Big Cats

A nice profile of Thandi and her research when she arrived at the University of Arizona
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More of Thandi's work

Check out the Zambian Carnivore Programme's facebook page for more on Thandi's research and outreach

partners in Thandi's research 

collaborators, partners, supporters, friends