Meet our grantees
Wild Animal Initiative funds academic research on high-priority questions in wild animal welfare.
The goal of our grants program is to fund research that deepens scientific knowledge of the welfare of wild animals in order to better understand how to improve the welfare of as many wild animals as possible, regardless of what causes the threats to their well-being.
We showcase our grantees and their projects here and continuously update this page as new projects are added.
Assessment of welfare impacts of parasites and pathogens on migratory flamingos among Salt Lakes of East Africa
Grantee: Robert Modest Byamungu
Institution: Sokoine University of Agriculture
Project summary
This project will investigate the effects of parasites and pathogens on the welfare of two flamingo species ― the greater flamingo and the lesser flamingo — in the Salt Lakes of East Africa using non-invasive methods. To achieve this, the project will establish two sites: an experimental site and a control site. At both sites, it will (i) estimate parasites and pathogens loads, (ii) assess stress behaviour, (iii) quantify stress physiology and, (iv) monitor food resources of flamingos. Welfare will be assessed through behaviors (e.g., body scratching and feathers plucking), as well as signs of stress (e.g., fecal cortisol levels). The project helps provide an understanding on how environmental pressures impact wild animals' quality of life.
Grantee: Robert Modest Byamungu
Institution: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
Grant amount: $9,920
Grant type: Seed grants
Focal species: Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Conservation status: Least concern
Disciplines: Ornithology, animal behavior, physiology, infectious disease
Research locations: Tanzania
Project summary
This project seeks to deepen understanding of flamingo migration among the Salt Lakes of East Africa by looking at the role of parasites and pathogens on the welfare of two flamingo species ― the greater flamingo and the lesser flamingo — using non-invasive methods. To achieve this, the project will establish two sites: an experimental site and a control site. At both sites, it will (i) estimate parasites and pathogens loads, (ii) assess stress behaviour, (iii) quantify stress physiology and, (iv) monitor food resources of flamingos. Welfare will be assessed through behaviors (e.g., body scratching and feathers plucking), as well as signs of stress (e.g., fecal cortisol levels). The project helps provide an understanding on how environmental pressures impact wild animals' quality of life.
Why we funded this project
Flamingos are a highly numerous species, so the findings of this project have the potential to help researchers understand the welfare of a large number of individuals. Migration of other group-living animals may also be influenced by welfare, so the results may also be translatable to other species.