Academic interests
I am a PhD student at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES). My research project is on behavioral ecology and conservation status of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia. Mountain nyala is an endemic flagship species in the Ethiopian Highlands and listed as Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Endangered Species. Currently, the species is highly threatened by agricultural expansion, livestock grazing, and uncontrolled annual fire. The species currently inhabits Alpine and dense montane habitats of Bale, Arsi and Ahmar Mountains of Ethiopia.
The population status and conservation threats of mountain nyala in the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains were known from short-term observations and trophy hunters. Thus, this study will determine the population status and produce habitat suitability map of the species that will assist the conservation of the species. The proposed study will also help to examine the foraging ecology, activity pattern, home-range dynamics, sustainability of the ongoing trophy hunting and the impact of livestock grazing on the species survival. This project will also produce a baseline data on the habitat status, dynamics and drivers of the land use and landcover changes which is important to design effective conservation management strategies. In addition to this, I have been working on the ecology and conservation biology of the endemic Menelik's Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki) in the southern highlands of Ethiopia.