Our research is interdisciplinary in nature and addresses problems that animals cause for people and the conflicts and disputes among people about animal management. We work on the management of native and introduced, wild and domestic species.Most of our work is conducted on wildlife management in the UK, but we are currently also working in Chad, Ethiopia and Australia. We use a range of techniques and methodologies, from novel, fully-distributed proximity loggers to quantify high resolution contact networks, to qualitative and ethnographic approaches to understanding practices and beliefs in animal management. We aim to achieve goals for controlling and eradicating disease in people and animals, for conserving biodiversity and for improving livelihoods. Our work aims to be useful, to answer worthwhile questions, and to contribute to the development and testing of theory.

The research group is led by Professor Robbie McDonald. We are based at the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute in Penryn, Cornwall, and collaborate with partners in the UK and worldwide.Don’t forget to check our ‘Join Us’ page for information about PhD studentships and employment opportunities.