The AWMS awards close April 30!

AWMS members in NZ, don't miss out on these funding opportunities and awards.

The absolute coolest news I’ve seen in awhile. Whale midwives! 😍🤩🐋🧪

We’ve Been Underestimating Flying Foxes

#Australia used to incinerate the large fruit bats, but research suggests they bring hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits to the country’s economy.
#fruitbats #bats #biodiversity #conservation 🌍

#UngulatesAreAwesome

📢: New publication! AWMS member Guy Ballard and his colleagues have recently published a paper on using expert elicitation to predict feral cat, Felis catus, responses to management. doi.org/10.1002/ps.7...

Great group doing really interesting work in nice study areas. This is a great option if you are interested & meet the criteria!

🔥 Whale Shark gliding through Bioluminescent Algae looks like its floating through space. By Mike Nulty

Nice study making use of a #BACI design to test for effects of #contraceptive delivery in eastern grey kangaroo.

A photo of a lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrec enrolled into a ball. The animal is grayish in color, with white spikes on its back and a long snout.

Did you know? The lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrec is more closely related to elephants than true hedgehogs! Weighing ~0.25 lb (0.2 kg), this small mammal inhabits western Madagascar. It can roll up into a spiky ball to defend itself from foes.
Photo: Nigel Voaden, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

Spatiotemporal scavenging dynamics of introduced red foxes across distinct Australian ecosystems Red foxes make extensive use of carcasses as a food source in Australia, especially in cool seasons and in less productive bioregions. Although red foxes a

📢: New publication! AWMS members Thomas Newsome, Patt Finnerty, Rhys Cairncross, Niraj Meisuria and colleagues have recently published a paper on the spatiotemporal scavenging dynamics of introduced red foxes across distinct Australian ecosystems. doi.org/10.1093/jmam...

It is awards season at AWMS! Applications are now open for a range of awards, including the Hands-on Management Award (aimed @ practitioners), the Des Cooper Conservation Award (aimed @ student members) and more. See awms.org.au for details.

East Africa RSCF's efforts to return critically endangered mountain bongo antelope to Kenya.

The mountain bongo is critically endangered. Found only in central Kenya, <100 remain in the wild. Recently, 17 animals (12♀, 5♂), donated by the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (#RSCF, USA), were repatriated to a sanctuary on the slopes of Mt Kenya. #KWS #UngulatesAreAwesome buff.ly/SHEA2yz

On #WorldWildlifeDay let us celebrate #Bongo - two species of spiral-horned, forest-dwelling, antelope from Central Africa (western/ lowland bongo) and Kenya (eastern/ mountain bongo) that can be found up to 4000 m asl. #UngulatesAreAwesome
Photos: Patrick Coin (Wikimedia); Jenni Douglas (Wikimedia)

Decisions at upcoming #CMSCOP15 will have far-reaching implications for biodiversity conservation, ecological connectivity, and sustainable development.

We are urging action to halt the accelerating decline of migratory species worldwide, like giant otters.

🌎 Get updates: www.wcs.org/cms-cop15

📢7th Workshop of Ecological and Behavioral Physiology (iimyc.gob.ar/fisioclim). Organizing this event is a significant challenge, especially given the current circumstances facing science in Argentina. For this reason, I warmly invite you to participate.
📍Córdoba, Argentina - March 10-12, 2027

Red deer forest impact is a concern in NZ. New research suggest red deer hind fitness & survival correlates with having strong social bonds. With some nuance, meat hunters/harvesters could target hinds to dirsupt social bonds & suppress pop. growth... doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
sharpphotography.co.uk

Red deer stag with nice antlers, standing slightly above, and looking towards the photographer at the forest edge .

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are one of the largest, most iconic European ungulates. #UngulatesAreAwesome, especially in their native ranges. Red deer (& others) were introduced to NZ from ~1851 & is a valued hunting resource that can have severe impacts on forests.
Photo: Luc Viatour / lucnix.be

Join us | Get Involved Today — Conservation Ecology Centre Join the Conservation Ecology Centre to support wildlife conservation through internships, volunteering, and community engagement initiatives.

Two full-time positions are available at the Conservation Ecology Centre (based at Cape Otway). These will support the delivery of multiple terrestrial & marine projects, while focusing on a major feral pig program across the Otways. See: www.conservationecologycentre.org/support-us/j...

There are only 2 extant #hippo species - the common hippopotamus (pictured) & the pygmy hippo. Recent research highlighted that the common hippo lived in parts of Germany as recently as 31 000 years ago; at the same time as woolly mammoths!
See: www.cell.com/current-biol...
#UngulatesAreAwesome

Tiny 13kg deer takes on 1.7-tonne rhino at Wroclaw Zoo | AFP YouTube video by AFP News Agency

I certainly have a soft-spot for even-toed ungulates - more so than for odd-toed ungulates 😉 - but who would you root for when they square up like this muntjac and Indian rhinoceros? #UngulatesAreAwesome
youtu.be/jNNm8fTzxOw?...

2026 International Day of Women and Girls in Science Join UNESCO on 11 February 2026 for a global event celebrating women in science and shaping a future where science and gender equality advance together

A massive shout-out to all women and girls in science, you make science and the world better! www.unesco.org/en/articles/...

...and we're off - opening session of the International Deer Biology Congress 2026 in Ōtepoti Dunedin #IDBC2026 #UngulatesAreAwesome

Traveling through Mossburn, deer capital of NZ, enroute to the International Deer Biology Congress in Dunedin. #UngulatesAreAwesome

Critically Endangered Black Rhino Calf Hits the Ground Running A 6-day-old black rhino stayed close to his mother this morning at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park while running around and exploring the exhibit. The male calf, born on Saturday July 12, marks a…

How cute are black rhino calves! Weighing in at up to 50 kg at birth - rather small compared to an adult (~800 - 1200 kg) - calves stay with their mothers for about 3 years.
Source: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
#UngulatesAreAwesome

Big news for deer farmers. A breakthrough parasite‑detection test could save the industry up to $50 million a year!

Read more bit.ly/4qfMXd2

Keen to dive deeper into the latest deer research? Register now for the International Deer Biology Congress in Dunedin, starting 10 February: bit.ly/4bzHhH8

Black rhino female and calf

Although there are three extant subspecies in the wild, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is critically endangered. As for all other #rhino species, poaching remains the major threat, while habitat loss and population fragmentation also threaten the species. #UngulatesAreAwesome

Black rhinoceros looking towards the camera through thorn bushes

Ungulates (hoofed animals) are either even-toed (e.g., sheep), or odd-toed, such as this black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), which is, of course not black in colour! 🤷 Here you can see the hooked (pointed) top lip that helps black rhinos feed on thin tree branches & leaves. #UngulatesAreAwesome

Please repost: 🚨Field assistant position 🐧

We offer a 14-months field assistant position through the French Polar Institute to work on king penguin ecophysiology and behavioral ecology.

Requirements: EU citizen < 30yo having experience with harsh fieldwork & wild bird/mammal handling/sampling.

From Monday Feb 2, I'll share weekly posts on ungulates from across the globe: 1 spp/week, focussing on their biology, conservation, fun facts & nice photos. #UngulatesAreAwesome

Photo credit: XAttlexattle, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons