Dr Robert Davis

Rob is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow within the Institute of Science and Environment.

Rob received his BSc (Wildlife Conservation) and PhD (Ecology) from Nottingham Trent University, UK. His PhD investigated the status and behavioural ecology of leopard and spotted hyaena in Kasungu National Park, Malawi, estimating large carnivore population density and examining how carnivore populations interact in a human-impacted protected area where prey and the large carnivore guild have been depleted. Prior to starting his PhD, Rob worked on the University of Cambridge’s Kalahari Meerkat Project in South Africa. Both before and during his PhD, Rob worked in Malawi for a carnivore research project, conducting field research across multiple sites and carnivore species.

After completing his PhD, Rob became a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Conservation Management, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. In this position, Rob worked on multiple projects largely focused on African carnivore ecology and conservation, including studies aimed at improving population monitoring methods for large carnivores and developing novel survey
techniques for small carnivore species. In this role, Rob also led a course that was designed to develop camera trapping skills for early career researchers and conservation practitioners, with a focus on capacity building for African researchers.

Rob joined the University of Cumbria in January 2026, where his work will focus on the ecological impact of human predation, via wire snares, on large carnivore and ungulate community dynamics in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. 

• PhD (2021) School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences,
  Nottingham Trent University
• BSc (2011) Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University
• Member of the British Ecological Society (BES)
• Member of the Southern African Wildlife Management Association
  (SAWMA)
• Member of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)
• Member of the African Small Carnivore Research Initiatives (ASCaRIs)
• Member of Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA)

Rob’s research is focused on applied conservation science, primarily centred on carnivore conservation and ecology in African ecosystems. Rob’s interests focus on how anthropogenic and environmental pressures impact carnivore ecology, including population density, habitat use and niche partitioning. He is passionate about applied research, ensuring that conservation management is guided by accurate and robust scientific research. He enjoys working with students and building capacity within research departments for conservation science. Rob’s research often applies conservation technology (camera traps, GPS collars) and uses statistical modelling techniques (spatial capture-recapture, occupancy modelling) to estimate parameters that inform carnivore conservation and
management.

Recent publications (full publication list available here):

Davis, R.S., Saloojee, K., & Venter, J.A. (2025). Using a recently developed camera trapping method to improve monitoring efforts for African small carnivore species. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 6, e70091. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70091

Davis, R.S. (2025). A conservation assessment of Otocyon megalotis. In Patel, T., Smith, C., Roxburgh, L., da Silva, J.M., & Raimondo, D., editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa. Available at: https://ewt.org/project/bat-eared-fox

Warrer, C.H., Riedner, D.C., Briefer, E.F., Venter, J.A., & Davis, R.S. (2025). Identifying areas of high snaring risk in Kruger National Park: a novel citizen science approach for carnivore conservation. Biological Conservation, 310, 111353. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111353

Davis, R.S., Gopalaswamy, A.M., Elliot, N.B., & Venter, J.A. (2025). Using spatial capture-recapture models to inform lion (Panthera leo) management in fenced protected areas. Journal of Wildlife Management, 89, e70085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70085

Leeman, R.S., Davis, R.S., Uzal, A., Neumeyer, H., Garbett, R.A., Twining, J.P., & Yarnell, R.W. (2025). Tourist surveys improve the precision of camera trap-derived density estimates using spatial capture-recapture models. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, e70025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.70025

Yu, H., Barlow, A., Davis, R.S., Gentle, L.K., Uzal, A., Baker, P., & Yarnell, R.W. (2025). Habitat and predator heterogeneity influence density of a declining mammal. Oikos, e11706. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/oik.11706