Phoebe Griffith - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network began its second year with its first session of 2023, bringing together both returning and new members of the network.

Network member Phoebe Griffith presented findings from her recently completed thesis on gharial conservation in Nepal. Drawing from her fieldwork in Chitwan, she shared both the successes and challenges of conducting conservation research in the field—from the encouraging discovery of wild gharial hatchlings to the difficulties posed by wild elephants and flooding.

Phoebe also discussed the results of her research and how these findings can contribute to and inform future gharial conservation efforts in Nepal.

The session offered members an opportunity to learn from the experiences of an early-career researcher while highlighting the realities of field-based crocodilian conservation research.

Key themes:

• Gharial conservation
• Nepal
• Chitwan
• Field research and conservation
• Gharial reproduction and wild hatchlings
• Challenges of fieldwork
• Flooding and wildlife interactions
• Applying research to future conservation efforts

January 27, 2023