The Leo Foundation has sponsored a visit of Gueye Mallé from Senegal to the University of Antwerp in Belgium in May 2017.
Gueye Mallé is the park warden of Niokolo Koba National Park (NP) in Senegal. This park covers a surface of 9,130 km² and harbours more than 80 species of mammals, 330 species of birds, 36 reptiles, 20 amphibians and 60 fish species. The land covered by Niokolo Koba NP and the corridor to the East and up to the border with Mali, includes several controlled hunting areas (ZIC). This large area offers a suitable habitat for a population of 20-30 lions and the only remaining population of African wilddogs in West Africa.
Leo Foundation has decided to sponsor the visit of Gueye Mallé, to enable him to register as a PhD student at the Evolutionary Ecology group of Antwerp University. We have been collaborating with Gueye Mallé for several years, for example for the organization of the carnivore conservation workshop in Senegal in 2013. During his visit to Belgium Gueye Mallé prepared a PhD proposal in close collaboration with his promotors in Antwerp University, prof. Hans de Iongh (Chair Leo Foundation) and prof. Herwig Leirs, and co promotor dr. Hans Bauer of WildCRU in Oxford.
Gueye Mallé intends to implement PhD research on the subject of human-wildlife conflicts with a focus on large carnivores. Through the financial support of Leo Foundation, we hope to contribute to large carnivore conservation in Senegal.
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