Hi everyone, my name is Lisa Rijkers, a Master Animal Science student at Wageningen University & Research with a specialisation in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation. I am currently working on my master’s thesis in collaboration with IBREAM! I have gotten the unique opportunity to be involved with IBREAM’s pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), or pygmy hippo hereafter, project.

African wild dogs live in highly social and hierarchical groups. However, intra-pack aggression, injuries and even mortalities may occur during temporary separation of individuals from the pack, during new pack formations and after translocation events both in captive and free-living animals. Pheromones are naturally occurring chemicals that are released by one animal that act to … Read more “Can the use of appeasing pheromones from African wild dogs improve pack bonding and survival?”

On Tuesday, May 29th, 2018, the 2018 edition of the Hippo day was organized in the village of Ponan, located at 4 km south of Taï. As usually, primary schools were at the heart of the event. Our strategy is that by creating nature awareness in the young generation, in time nature awareness will become … Read more “Pygmy Hippo Awareness Activities (2018) “

IBREAM team members (including researchers from JCU’s state-of-the-art Gamete and Embryology (GAME) Laboratory) have a plan to help low-ranked African wild dogs become part of the breeding cycle and help ensure the endangered species survive. The species (Lycaon pictus) is highly endangered, with a complex pack hierarchy in which subordinate animals usually do not breed … Read more “Being top dog doesn’t guarantee better sperm in African wild dogs”

Since I started to study for my first degree in biology, I heard a lot about Taï National Park (TNP) in Ivory Coast. Indeed, this is the biggest primary rainforest of West Africa and different endemic species live there as the Jentink’s duiker (Cephalophus Jentinki), the white-breasted guineafowl (Agelastes meleagrides) and 8 monkey species as … Read more “Pygmy Hippos in Taï Forest 2017/2018: update and first impressions”

The pygmy hippopotamus is endangered in the wild and has been exhibited in zoological collections since the early 1900s; however, it remains one of the most little known and poorly understood large mammal species in the world. Studies of its biology, physiology and ecology have been limited, both by the often inhospitable nature of its … Read more “Pygmy Hippo PhD 2017 Summary”

James Cook University researchers have helped develop a new way to save endangered African wild dogs. IBREAM team members have successfully developed a sperm freezing technique for the species (Lycaon pictus). The highly efficient pack hunters have disappeared from most of their original range across sub-Saharan Africa due to habitat destruction, human persecution and canine … Read more “Freezing breakthrough offers hope for African wild dogs”

The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the most endangered animals in the world and found only in Ethiopia. Because of different endangering factors prevailing in the wolf habitat, this animal has attracted the interests of conservation groups around the world.   Workshops and training The tangible jointly taken step by the College of Veterinary Medicine … Read more “Ethiopian Wolf Semen Banking Expedition 2014-2017”