Wildlife Conservation Research Unit

The circle of life extends far beyond the stage 🦁

WildCRU’s director, Amy Dickman, was invited to experience The Lion King in celebration of Disney’s collaboration with the National Geographic Society.

Amy later spoke at London Zoo about her conservation and research work in East Africa, sharing insights from the field and discussing the importance of protecting wildlife and ecosystems for future generations.

Amy was joined by Richard Turere, a Maasai entrepreneur, who created Lion Lights - solar-powered, automated LED lights designed to deter predators (like lions) from livestock enclosures.

The magic of The Lion King - Musical reminds us why these landscapes and species matter, and why conservation has never been more important.

Lion Landscapes

What do people really think about reintroducing species to the wild?

At a recent late-night event at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Josh Sains and Darragh Hare invited visitors to take part in a pilot study on unlicensed species reintroductions, sometimes called "guerrilla rewilding."

Guests helped test the wording and difficulty of species knowledge questions that will be used in a study exploring whether people's knowledge of a species influences support for its reintroduction.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and contributed to the research!

The last refuge of a rare species?

The Bornean ferret badger (Melogale everetti), currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN, is endemic to Sabah and remains one of Borneo's least-known mammals.

Recent research recorded 407 independent detections across Sabah's western highlands and confirmed the species in the Nuluhon-Trusmadi Forest Reserve for the first time — an encouraging sign for conservation efforts.

Today, the species is known only from the Kinabalu-Crocker-Trusmadi mountain landscape, highlighting the critical importance of protecting these unique highland ecosystems.

Read the research led by WildCRU’s Andrew Hearn 👉 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.73756

International Lynx Day!

These elusive wild cats are often apex predators in healthy forest ecosystems but their conservation and reintroduction to habitats can be controversial.

WildCRU researchers are investigating public perceptions of reintroducing lynx to several countries in Europe and what the implications could be for biodiversity and local communities.

Amy Dickman joined OPEN Conversation: 'Policy Is Political: What Does That Mean for Academic Engagement?'

During the panel, Amy shared her experiences of working in policy for wildlife conservation, using science to inform sometimes controversial conservation policies.

Tune in to the Nature Conservation Talk Show tomorrow! 🌍🎙️

The Morally Contested Conservation (MCC) Project explores challenging issues at the intersection of wildlife conservation and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on the perspectives of communities living alongside wildlife.

Last week, the MCC Hwange team visited Dingani and Magoli to share research findings with community leaders (in local language - Ndebele) and propose the next phase of research on important conservation topics.

Hear more about the project and its findings on Survivor Nyasuly's radio show on SKYZ METRO FM (Tuesday 9th June, 11:30am to 12pm).

Tune in to the discussion with WildCRU's Darragh Hare and Lovemore Sibanda 👉 https://skyzmetroradio.co.zw/

Jamma Conservation & Communities Skyz Metro FM

WildCRU wins the Vice Chancellor’s ‘Making a Difference Globally’ Award! 🏆

The award recognises the exceptional work of the team, who share their expertise globally to build local capacity, support equitable livelihoods, strengthen policy, and improve coexistence between people and wildlife.

Director Amy Dickman shared: ‘I am so thrilled that our amazing team has received a Vice Chancellor's Award. Our work involves so many diverse people, including researchers, support staff, field teams, students, donors and others, and it was wonderful to have that collective commitment recognised at the highest level in the University. The Awards showcased such incredible work being done across Oxford and far beyond, and we felt both humbled and honoured to be part of it.’

Congratulations to everyone at WildCRU!

Photo ©John Cairns Photography

University of Oxford

The WildCRU team will be sharing their research at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Showcase tomorrow, celebrating the group's hard work to understand and protect species around the globe.

WildCRU has been shortlisted for the Vice Chancellor's 'Making a Difference Globally' Award, with winners announced on 4th June.

See more details about the Showcase below. We hope to see you there.

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Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Showcase 2026 🏆

Join us at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Showcase 2026 on Tuesday 2 June, 10am-4pm at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

Open to staff, students and the wider public, this special event celebrates this year’s shortlisted projects and the outstanding work taking place across the University.

Meet the nominees, explore interactive displays and exhibition boards, and discover how these inspiring initiatives are making a real difference - locally and globally.

Register for updates and be part of the celebration ⬇️
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