My research relies on collaborations with long-term research sites and the data collected by a large number of highly skilled field scientists. I have been lucky enough to work at three gorilla field sites in Central and Eastern Africa with whom I continue to work closely. None of my research would be possible without the incredible teams based at each of these sites.

Karisoke Research Center, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund​, Rwanda

Established in 1967, Karisoke Research Center is the world's longest running gorilla field site. Over 100 expert gorilla field trackers are employed by Karisoke to monitor and protect mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park. They currently collect data on around 9 mountain gorilla groups daily, generating one of the largest databases for any wild animal. This has been used to publish over 300 scientific publications since the research center was established.

I have been working at Karisoke Research Center since May 2019 collaborating on research into gorilla social complexity, inter-group relationships, maternal loss and disease transmission. 

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Mbeli Bai Study, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Rep. Congo

The Mbeli Bai Study is the longest running study on western lowland gorillas. Established in 1995, the Mbeli Bai Study monitors a population of over 200 gorillas that regularly visit the 13ha  forest clearing. In contrast to most gorilla field sites where habituated groups are followed daily through the forest, at Mbeli Bai, unhabituated gorillas are monitored from a platform at the edge of the forest clearing. This allows large numbers of gorillas to be monitored with little to no disturbance of the population and enables the regular observation of inter-group encounters that are rarely observed within the forest.

I worked at Mbeli Bai as the interim site manager in 2017 whilst conducting fieldwork for my PhD on gorilla social structure and am now collaborating on a project investigating forest elephant social structure.

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Ngaga Research Site, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Rep. Congo

Gorillas at the Ngaga Research Site were first habituated in 2010 under the expertise of Dr Magdalena Bermejo. Since then 4 groups have been habituated and are followed daily at the research site established by Sabine Plattner African Charities. In 2014 the Ngaga Camera Trap Study was initiated which took advantage of the unusual root feeding behaviour observed in the region, to monitor both the habituated and unhabituated gorilla population via a network of camera traps situated at root feeding sites. 

​Ngaga is a place very close to my heart. I first began working at Ngaga in 2014 when Magdalena Bermejo took me on as a research assistant straight after my undergrad. I then continued to conduct research at Ngaga through my PhD project, developed in collaboration with the Ngaga Research Site, using data from the Camera Trap Study to model gorilla movement patterns.