2020 African Graduate Student Research Fund Award - Charles Emogor

Charles Emogor is a PhD student in Zoology at the University of Cambridge studying the ecology and status of the white-bellied pangolin. He combines social and ecological methods to understand human pressures on the world’s most trafficked wild mammal and provide useful insights into their ecology which is currently limited. Facets of his research which is mainly conducted in and around Nigeria’s Cross River National Park include, characterisation of Nigeria’s role in the global illegal pangolin trade, characterisation of local consumption and demand, quantification of pangolin offtake and understanding the ranging behaviour of the white-bellied pangolin. Charles is also collaborating with the Centre for Conservation Biology (University of Washington) to develop a genetic database for identifying the geographic origin of seized pangolin materials which will better inform law enforcement activities. Charles’ work which is supervised by Professor Andrew Balmford and funded by the Gates Cambridge Trust will undoubtedly provide badly needed information for evidence-based pangolin conservation in Nigeria.