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
24/11/2021
Incredible news for Scotland’s beavers
After helping to bring beavers back to Scotland in the first ever official successful reintroduction of a mammal to Britain, we have been pushing for increased geographic flexibility on translocations to help beaver populations spread into new areas where they can have greater positive impact and avoid conflict with humans.
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Blog
09/11/2021
Out of the ashes
The Brazilian Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, suffered massive wildfires in 2020. Dr Arnaud Desbiez is an RZSS conservation associate in Brazil and the founder of the Giant Armadillo Conservation Program and Anteaters & Highways projects. In this blog, he shows how in the face of devastating fires and covid challenges, consistent communication and effective collaboration show again how, when we work together, both people and wildlife benefit.