IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group

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Overview and description

Description:
Made up of experts from around the world, the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) leads efforts to study giraffe, okapi and the threats they face, as well as leading and supporting ...

Made up of experts from around the world, the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) leads efforts to study giraffe, okapi and the threats they face, as well as leading and supporting conservation actions designed to ensure the survival of the two species into the future. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are institutional co - hosts of the GOSG for giraffes and okapi respectively.

Group leadership

Dr Michael BROWN

Co-Chair
I am a conservation ecologist interested in developing applied solutions to conservation challenges rooted in scientific understandings of population ecology and movement ecology.  Examining…

I am a conservation ecologist interested in developing applied solutions to conservation challenges rooted in scientific understandings of population ecology and movement ecology.  Examining these processes through the lens of spatial interactions over time, I hope to better understand how individuals and populations respond to changing environments - from seasonal variation in resource distribution to large scale human-driven disturbances- and exploring how an understanding of these interactions across spatiotemporal scales might be used to craft creative and meaningful conservation strategy.

I am committed to translating scientific findings into meaningful conservation strategy. As such, I work collaboratively with conservation organizations, government agencies and academic institutions to better understand and implement solutions to contemporary issues in biodiversity conservation. Conservation solutions are rooted in trust and understanding across cultural and political divides so I strive to integrate diverse perspectives of thinking and doing in collaborative conservation initiatives.

Dr David STANTON

Co-Chair
I am an evolutionary geneticist interested in understanding how natural and anthropogenic processes are involved in biodiversity change. I did my PhD on okapi conservation genetic, and…

I am an evolutionary geneticist interested in understanding how natural and anthropogenic processes are involved in biodiversity change.

I did my PhD on okapi conservation genetic, and am currently a lecturer at Cardiff University, UK. My research investigates diversity in wild animal populations, often using historic and ancient DNA.

At a glance

Official name:
IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group
Associated Commissions: