About Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
WildCRU's mission is to use scientific research into the lives and habits of animals as a tool to help conserve endangered species and wildlife. It also helps educate local peoples about the value and importance of indigenous species.
Its areas of speciality are endangered species; farming and wildlife; wildlife and people; fundamental ecology and wildlife diseases and pests. The charity seeks to train and develop conservation biologists, promote knowledge and awareness amongst a wider public and effect improvements to policy. Governments, authorities and wildlife experts frequently consult it.
WildCRU operates around the world and, whilst much of its work involves mammals, the closely collaborating teams include ornithologists, entomologists and botanists.
Projects in the UK include long-term research into badger ecology and a suite of riverside mammals whose lives are closely interrelated - otter, water vole, water shrew and American mink. Farming issues cover topics such as biodiversity within organic and conventional farming systems and the management of field margins for conservation and natural weed control.
Much of WildCRU's work abroad is carried out in partnership with local communities and includes conservation projects for cheetah, tigers, African wild dogs (painted hunting dogs), lions and Ethiopian wolves - Africa's most endangered carnivore. It is also looking at sustainable use of the vicuña, a relative of the llama, in Bolivia and Chile.
A major new initiative aims to develop practical solutions to conflicts between people and wildlife caused by competition for precious resources.
Our history
WildCRU was founded in 1986 by Professor David Macdonald, but its roots go back to the early seventies to a group of biologists known as 'The Oxford Foxlot', who specialised in carnivore biology. They have now gone on to a variety of eminently successful careers worldwide.
When Professor Macdonald founded WildCRU there was no university-based organisation trying to use the burgeoning knowledge of animal ecology and behaviour as a basis for finding practical solutions to wildlife problems - his dream was to redress that omission.
WildCRU has grown since then and now has over 30 projects worldwide, run by dedicated scientists, field assistants and volunteers. Costs are kept to an absolute minimum so that as much of the money as possible can go to conservation. The charity is run by a very small management team.
Some of its achievements to date:
- Highlighted and begun to remedy the precipitous decline of the water vole
- Helped to save the Ethiopian wolf from extinction
- Training ground for eminent conservation biologists
- Radically changed perceptions about fox behaviour and control in the UK and influenced the World Health Organisation's thinking on rabies control
- Developed practical guidelines for farmers for the integration of conservation interests with modern farming
- Revolutionised understanding of diseases transmitted by wild rats
It is part of the Department of Zoology of the University of Oxford but the only funds available to it are those that it raises itself.