Fauna Australis Wildlife Conservation Research Laboratory
Professor David Macdonald Honorary Director (WildCRU-Oxford)
&
Professor Cristian Bonacic Director. Department of Ecosystems and The Environment
About Our Honorary director
Fauna Australis Wildlife Laboratory was created in March 2001 as associate research lab of WildCRU (Oxford). Professor David Macdonald is our Honorary Director.
Fauna Australis is a leading research group for applied conservation sciences led by Professor Cristian Bonacic under the Natural Resources Programme of the Catholic University of Chile (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile – PUC); one of the most recommended universities throughout Chile. Fauna Australis was founded in 2001 by Dr. Bonacic and aims to conduct applied research on the conservation of wildlife in the southern cone of South America. A multidisciplinary research team, including agronomists, biologists, forestry engineers, geographers and veterinarians are addressing research on the current challenges of biodiversity conservation faced with global change. Former and current works contribute to the following main areas: ecology and vulnerability of endangered fauna, sustainable use of wild camelids, distribution and impacts of invasive fauna, productivity and ecology of Agro-ecosystems, resolution of conservation conflicts, and Ethnobiology in Aymaras and Mapuche communities. Recently socioecological studies and the effect of fire and feral domestic animals have become quite relevant and we are working hard to produce science based recommendations to society.
Fauna Australis wildlife laboratory
Director
Professor Cristián Bonacic DVM. MSc. DPhil.
Department of Ecosystems & The Environment
School of Agriculture & Forestry Sciences
PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF CHILE
Field-station Director (Kod Kod Araucanía)
Jerry Laker. BSc Agr. MSc ecology
Education & Conservation, Sustainability, Eco-tourism, Wildlife Conservation
Research team
- Ana Muñoz (BSc, MSc). Laboratory coordinator.
- José Infante (Agr, MSc). Associate researcher.
- Omar Ohrens (Agr, MSc, PhD Wisconsin). Associate researcher.
- Andre Rubio (Vet, MSc, PhD UNAM). Assistant professor. School of Veterinary Sciences. Universidad de Chile
- Alejandra Muñoz (BSc Agr, MSc, PhD candidate). Assistant professor (adjunct). Ungulates conservation, sustainable Agriculture, ecology.
- Nicolás Gálvez (BSc, Agr, Msc, PhD). Assistant professor. Carnivores, conflict resolution, conservation biology.
- Tomás Ibarra (BSc. Agr, MSc Conservation, MSc Ethnobiology, PhD). Assistant professor. PhD Conservation Biology, Ornithology, Ethnobiology.
- Tomás Altamirano (BSc For, PhD). Postdoctorate UBC & Associate researcher. Bird ecology and forestry conservation.
- Juan David Amaya. Assistant professor. Universidad Javeriana. Colombia.
- Omar Siguas. Assistant professor. Universidad de Huancavelica. Perú.
- Graduate students 2019: Cony Arevalo (BSc Conell), Mariangela Paratori (BSc Forestry, U de Chile), Paola Araneda (Biol. MSc, PhD student).
FAUNA AUSTRALIS
About the Director
Dr. Cristian Bonacic, DVM. M.Sc. DPhil in Zoology (Wolfson college, Oxford University).
Professor, wildlife scientist and lecturer in wildlife conservation at the School of Agriculture and Forestry Science of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Director of Fauna Australis.
Head of the Environmental Science Diploma and of the MSc in Conservation and Wildlife Management. Member of the Wildlife Trust Alliance and associate researcher of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU, Oxford) & Macaulay Land Use Research (Darwin Initiative project). Adjunct researcher of CERC, Columbia University. In 2007 received a Whitley Commnendation for his work in innovation for conservation science from HRH Princess Royal at the Royal Geographical Society of London.
“For the last 28 years, I have conducted research, teaching, leaded international ad national conservation projects, organised workshops, fieldwork and activities with local communities in several countries. My research interests includes sustainable use of wildlife, conflict resolution between people and wildlife, business and biodiversity, global change and biodiversity and applied animal welfare to wildlife conservation and control.
Most of my projects are based in the altiplano, Atacama desert, Mediterranean ecosystem of central Chile, Temperate rainforests and Patagonia. But I also commit myself to report to decision makers nationally and internationally (IUCN, US Fish and Wildlife Service, European Union, The UK, Argentina, Bolivia and particularly in Chile).
My academic career combines teaching and research in applied conservation issues, conservation medicine, animal welfare and conflicts between people and wildlife. I also leaded for 10 years a minor in Environmental science in our University. In 2005, we launched the first MSc programme in Conservation and Wildlife Management within a programme of Natural Resources. This is a 2 year graduate course that aims to prepare a multidisciplinary research team that works in flora, fauna, conservation and protected areas management. My duties as head of the programme include lecturing, field expeditions, supervision of thesis and fundraising for the projects and students”. I created the Department of Ecosystems & The Environment and a new undergraduate major in environmental management as head of Department in 2010. I am actively engage in long term projects as member of the center for local development, center for the Atacama desert and University boards related to natural resources and the environment (Qualitas UC, COPEC-UC Foundation for Natural Resources, Project Saint Francis)”
Dr Bonacic was awarded his professorship at The Pontifical Catholic University in 2015 and soon after began his sabbatical sponsored as visiting professor by The Tinker Foundation in The Nelson Institute at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA.
Professor Bonacic was awarded a prize for his contribution to Veterinary Sciences by the Association of Chilean Veterinarians in 2017.
Between March 2016 and March 2018 was the director of the Department of Ecosystems & The Environment at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Projects sponsorship:
Ministries of Agriculture, The Environment, Education and Economy of Chile. European Union, UK Government, German Government, US funds and international and national NGOs.