Behavioural dynamics of the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in North-East Namibia using Model-Based Suitability, Connectivity, Movement and Genetic Analysis

Hello, I’m Saskia Borger, a recent graduate from the Technical University of Munich. I completed my Master’s thesis in collaboration with the Ongava Research Centre (ORC) and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism in Namibia. Born and raised Read more

Life as an intern at the Ongava Research Centre

Hello everyone! I am Rhys, a wildlife sciences undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, USA working in Dr. Jim Beasley’s lab, and I got to spend 3 amazing months as an intern at the Ongava Research Centre. During Read more

All big things start small

During my time at the Ongava Research Centre (ORC) this year, I worked in the lab analysing biological samples from elephants. The lab is equipped with all the necessary tools and gadgets to carry out DNA extractions and DNA-quality Read more

sDNA Metabarcoding: Opening the Doors to Understanding Carnivore Diets

Understanding carnivore diets, especially in Namibia where multiple large carnivores have overlapping niches, is important for conservation efforts and management. Analyzing a predator’s diet allows us to understand the roles they play in an ecosystem, how much they potentially Read more

Mammals and their microbes: Unraveling the gut microbiome of Etosha’s herbivores

Elephant dung along a game trail

Working with animal scat may not be the most glamorous way of studying African mammals, but thanks to advancements in molecular technologies we can use scats to uncover a wealth of new information Read more