Animal Behaviour in Conservation

Dr. Lysanne Snijders serves as an Assistant Professor at the Behavioural Ecology Group of Wageningen University & Research, where she combines her passion for animal behavior with wildlife conservation efforts. After completing her Biology degree at Utrecht University and Master's at Wageningen University, she earned her PhD cum laude in 2016, focusing on personality in social networks of great tits. Her academic journey includes significant research positions at prestigious institutions, including postdoctoral work at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries and the Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin. Her research primarily investigates social behavior and personality in various species, from Trinidadian guppies to noctule bats, with particular emphasis on how individuals differ in behavior and what consequences this has for group dynamics. As an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoc Fellow and current NWO-Veni Fellow, she has made substantial contributions to understanding animal social networks, information transfer, and conservation behavior. Beyond her research, she actively engages in science communication through various platforms, including serving as a lecturer for the MOOC "Introduction to Animal Behaviour" on EdX, and advocates for women in science, emphasizing that scientific careers are accessible to all genders. Her work bridges the gap between behavioral ecology and wildlife conservation, focusing on how understanding animal behavior can contribute to more effective conservation strategies and the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts.

Dr. Marc Naguib serves as Professor and Chair of the Behavioural Ecology Group at Wageningen University & Research since 2011, where he has established himself as a prominent researcher in animal behavior and communication. After completing his PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he built an impressive career through positions at the Freie Universität Berlin, University of Bielefeld, and as a senior researcher at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. His research primarily focuses on vocal communication and social organization in animals, with particular expertise in songbird behavior as model systems. He investigates how animals learn, communicate, and organize their social lives, contributing significantly to our understanding of behavioral mechanisms, development, and function in wildlife. As current president of the Netherlands Society for Behavioural Biology, he continues to shape the field through his leadership and research contributions. His teaching portfolio includes the popular MOOC "Introduction to Animal Behaviour," where he shares his fascination with bird behavior and their remarkable behavioral repertoire. His work spans multiple aspects of behavioral ecology, including animal cognition, movement patterns, and the complexities of social networks, making him a leading figure in understanding how animals adapt and respond to their environment through behavior.

Dr. James Savage currently serves as Research Coordinator at the Southern Institute of Technology, part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, where he combines his expertise in behavioral ecology with practical conservation work. His academic journey began with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he studied social and reproductive behavior of birds in the Australian outback, leading to an impressive international career spanning the UK, Netherlands, Ireland, USA, and Canada. His research primarily focuses on parental care, maternal investment, and animal communication, with particular emphasis on cooperative breeding and social behavior in birds. In his current role, he maintains a significant collaboration with the Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Recovery Team, working to identify and address causes of low hatching success in this critically endangered parrot species. His work bridges the gap between theoretical behavioral ecology and practical conservation challenges, contributing to both academic understanding and wildlife preservation. As an educator and researcher, he brings his extensive field experience to the classroom through his contributions to the "Introduction to Animal Behaviour" course, making complex behavioral concepts accessible to students worldwide. His diverse international experience has provided him with a unique perspective on animal behavior across different ecosystems, enabling him to develop innovative approaches to conservation challenges while maintaining active research interests in parental care, maternal investment, and animal communication.