At the Cheetah Research Project, we have a scientific core team that is under contract of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. But the project is actually significantly larger as we are proud to collaborate closely with many researchers and other professionals. Infact, they feel like part of the team and we consider them a vital, indispensable and inspiring component of our work. Here are a few of them:
Dr Miha Krofel
“I am fascinated by the myriad of ecological processes that determine the functioning of ecosystems across the globe. I love unrevealing the detailed secrets about the roles each species plays in the complex web of life on this planet. Especially when new understanding helps the people or conservation of wildlife.”
Dr Miha Krofel is a carnivore ecologist and involved in several wild-felid projects in Africa and Eurasia, including the Cheetah Research Project in Namibia. Miha received his PhD on the ecology of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and their interactions with prey and other carnivores in Dinaric Mountains of Slovenia and Croatia.
Professional experience
Assistant professor and head of the Vertebrate Ecology Lab at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Guest scientist at Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany (IZW). Carnivore expert for the IUCN SSC (the Canid Specialist Group and the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe). Research focus on conservation and ecology of large predators, particularly on inter- and intra-specific interactions and prevention of human-carnivore conflicts. (Co-)author of >100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 18 books or book chapters. Most of the research done on Eurasian lynx, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, European wildcat, brown bear, grey wolf, and golden jackal, to a lesser extent also involved in studies on other carnivores, wild ungulates, raptors, lizards and scavenger communities.
Education
Doctoral degree at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
MSc in Biology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jan Zwilling
“For millenia, humans have passed on knowledge from one generation to another through stories. This was the way the world changed. And now we need to change it – and us – once again, to stop being apart from nature and to become a part of nature again. Environmental storytelling that builds on excellent science can achieve this!”
Jan Zwilling studied geography at Humboldt-University and worked in science communication throughout his entire career for various scientific organisations. Since 2018 he helps spreading the word about the research for conservation conducted at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo und Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Berlin. Combining his passion for nature photography and science communication he strives to tell visual stories about scientific advances that significantly help nature conservation. He is a member of the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) and a founding board member of the Conservation and Research Fund (CRF). For the Cheetah Research Project, Jan takes care of a variety of communication tasks, including press relations, social media and website, and networking with photographers and storytellers.