Stephanie Bourgeois
PhD Student
MSc Ecology, Evolution, Biometry, Claude Bernard-Lyon 1 University, France (2007), Doctorate in Veterinary medicine, Maisons-Alfort National Veterinary School, France (2007)
Research interests
Genetic study of forest elephants: population assignment of ivory and connectivity between National Parks
The overall objective of the project is to improve forest elephant conservation in Central Africa by providing powerful tools to fight against ivory traffic, to better target antipoaching activities, and to promote land use planning that favors connectivity between populations, using genetic analysis.
We will create a reference genetic database of elephants across Gabon and identify discrete populations. The project will focus on : 1) developing a robust procedure for genetically tracking and determining the origin of seized ivory, including case studies linked to poached elephants; and 2) studying population genetic structure, gene flow and connectivity between forest elephant populations in Gabon, with aim of evaluating the risk of potential land use planning on gene flow and population structure.
Funding Acknowledgements
Funds for the project were provided by CEEAC under the ECOFAC V Programme (Fragile Ecosystems of Central Africa), funded by the European Union.
Supervisors
Dr Kathryn Jeffery
Dr Nils Bunnefeld
Dr Rob Ogden (RZSS)
Dr Helen Senn (RZSS)
Information can also be found here: LINK
Support
THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND
Sign into our Members Portal hereLatest News
-
News
27/10/2023
RZSS response to the UK Government’s intention to deprioritise species restoration
I was surprised and dismayed to read about the UK Government’s intention to deprioritise species restoration, which fails to recognise the importance of that vital pillar of biodiversity recovery, as well as flying in the face of recent guidance from the world authority for conservation, the IUCN.
-
News
13/10/2023
Critically endangered wildcats now call the Cairngorms National Park home
The first round of wildcat releases in Scotland has been completed by Saving Wildcats, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in partnership with NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), The Cairngorms National Park Authority, Nordens Ark and Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul de la Junta de Andalucía.