Rachel Crouthers
PHD Student
Research Interests
My PhD aims to use a range of ecological, genetic, and social science tools to gain a greater understanding on Asian elephant populations existing in multi-use anthropogenic landscapes in Southeast Asia. The primary objective of my study is to investigate if small fragmented elephant populations can persist within a socio-ecological landscape in Cambodia. Working with an array of partners, this research aims to make an important contribution to the field of conservation genetics by exploring the effectiveness of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers against traditional genetic markers for assessing population size and genetic structure of wild Asian elephants.
Findings from this study will contribute to, an improved knowledge on Asian elephant population status, advancements in genetic tools to study spatial and temporal movement, and factors that influence human-elephant conflict. Results from my study will allow conservation practitioners to develop inter-disciplinary strategies that will be beneficial to both elephant conservation and the wellbeing of people co-utilising shared resources.
Background
Conservation Biologist with over 10 years’ research experience in South-east Asia, Africa, Latin America and the UK. Established, implemented and managed multiple globally endangered species monitoring surveys. Expertise in endangered species conservation, biodiversity monitoring techniques, protected area management and mitigation strategies. Obtained an MSc in Conservation Biology (MMU) in 2010.
Supervisors
Dr Peter Ritchie, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Wayne Linklater, California State University
Funding Acknowledgements
DARWIN Initiative, WWF, Humanscale and BMZ
Location
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; RZSS, UK; Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Latest News
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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.
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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.