Events Calendar

Animal Matters: A Quantitative Assessment of the Indirect Impacts of Human-Elephant Conflict

Thursday, February 29, 2024 12pm to 1pm

Franklin M. Loew Veterinary Education Center, Hamilburg Lecture Hall (HLH) Free Event

3 Library Circle, North Grafton, 01536

#Animal Matters
Free Event

A Quantitative Assessment of the Indirect Impacts of Human-Elephant Conflict

This seminar is part of the Animal Matters Seminar Series presented by Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy  Co-sponsored by Tufts Elephant Conservation Alliance and Tufts W.A.Z.E. (Wildlife, Aquatics, Zoo, Exotics) Club

SpeakerShari Rodriguez, PhD, Associate Professor, Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, Clemson University

Joining remotely? Register in advance here: https://tufts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MEfmrhnAQ4yl2_FyWQVr_A After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Description: Human-wildlife conflict has direct and indirect consequences for human communities. Understanding how both types of conflict affect communities is crucial to developing comprehensive and sustainable mitigation strategies. We found that 99% of participants suffered from some type of indirect impact from human-elephant conflict (HEC), including fear for personal and family safety from elephants and fear that elephants will destroy their home. Despite experiencing moderate levels of indirect impacts from HEC at the community level, participants expressed attitudes consistent with supporting future elephant conservation programs. This seminar will discuss the experiences and attitudes of people in two rural areas in the Asian country of Myanmar where communities were exposed to HEC.

Biography: Dr. Shari Rodriguez is an Associate Professor in the Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department at Clemson University. Along with the students in the Rodriguez Human Dimensions Lab (HDW), Shari undertakes research that allows for a better understanding of the role humans play in wildlife and natural resource sustainability at local, national, and global scales. Of particular interest in the Rodriguez Lab is the study of various human-wildlife conflicts for the purpose of finding ways to mitigate conflicts and promote human-wildlife coexistence. Current and past conflict models examined in the lab include lions, Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, black bears, red wolves, bats, and jaguars.

Made possible by the generous support of Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund and Tufts Elephant Conservation Alliance

About The Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund: Dr. Elizabeth A. Lawrence was a pioneering veterinarian and anthropologist who wrote with insight and eloquence about the relationship between people and animals, with special attention to horses. In 1983, Dr. Lawrence co-founded Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy with Dr. Andrew Rowan. Dr. Lawrence’s impact is reflected in the Cummings School’s emphasis on the human-animal bond in the curriculum and in campus-community activities. The Elizabeth A. Lawrence Endowed Fund supports student and faculty-run community outreach activities and the infrastructure which sustains such programs. The Lawrence Fund is overseen by the Center for Animals and Public Policy Advisory Board

About Tufts Elephant Conservation Alliance (TECA):  TECA is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of faculty members from across the university. They are committed to identifying opportunities to focus Tufts’ diverse resources to promote trans-disciplinary research, scholarship, outreach, and teaching that will substantially advance elephant conservation. https://sites.tufts.edu/teca/

About Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy: The mission of the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy is to conduct and encourage the study of complex issues surrounding the changing role and impact of animals in society. The Center supports the development and dissemination of research-driven policies, programs, and practices that benefit both people and animals. Work conducted by the Center is based on the tenets that animal well-being matters, that animal and human well-being are linked and that both are enhanced through improved understanding of human-animal relationships.

Email us at capp@tufts.edu if you'd like to be notified of upcoming seminars.  vet.tufts.edu/center-animals-and-public-policy

Event Details


Joining remotely? Register in advance here:

https://tufts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MEfmrhnAQ4yl2_FyWQVr_A

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.