In South Africa’s arid rangelands, we found that species richness on farmlands could rival that of nearby protected areas – despite the absence of large carnivores. Some adaptable meso-predators, like caracals and black-backed jackals, actually thrive in these human-dominated landscapes, benefiting from the lack of larger competitors and a steady supply of food, such as sheep that graze with no protection. Unsurprisingly, this often leads to negative interactions with small-livestock farmers who could use poison as a last resort in an effort to control depredation on their land.
I have been exploring African biodiversity from the arid rangelands of southern Africa to the dense Upper Guinean forests of West Africa, seeking to understand how wildlife and people coexist across very different landscapes. My early work focused on the impact of small-livestock farming and protected areas on wildlife communities, and the complex dynamics behind human-wildlife interactions. Today, my focus has shifted to West Africa, where I work on wild cats, particularly leopards, lions and the elusive African golden cat, to inform regional and national conservation strategies and protect these iconic species from the threats of illegal wildlife trade.
