Kasim Rafiq

Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for Ecosystem Sentinels

Website

I am a wildlife ecologist whose work focuses on predator movement ecology, behavior, and conservation. I use emerging conservation technologies, particularly animal-borne sensors, to investigate animal movements & behaviors and to explore ways to sustainably monitor wildlife populations. I am particularly interested in the intersections between conservation, ecology, and technology, and most of my work involves field-based studies, as they allow us to witness animal behaviors in their natural settings. Some of my interests at the moment include understanding the factors shaping animal movement decisions; the impacts of anthropogenic environments and shifting climates on predator ecology; and the use of open-source technologies in ecology and conservation. I am also working closely with tour operators in Africa to develop new citizen-science wildlife survey approaches for sustainable species monitoring. Prior to my position at UW, I was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and I completed my PhD in leopard ecology at Liverpool John Moores University in affiliation with Botswana Predator Conservation.