Mark Elbroch

Mark Elbroch earned his PhD in Ecology while studying pumas in Chilean Patagonia at the University of California, Davis . Mark's conservation research focuses on four areas: 1) Re-establishing an appreciation for natural history training as the foundation for conservation efforts, 2) Improving observer reliability in field work utilizing sign counts, 3) Increasing the involvement of local communities in conservation work, especially those with expert knowledge relevant to projects, and 4) Mitigating human-carnivore conflict through research and education, with the goal of providing the data needed to fight old mythology that perpetuates fear of large carnivores. Mark's current research efforts focus on carnivore behavioral and community ecology, and the ecological roles of pumas (cougars, mountain lions) within their larger communities. Mark also collaborates with CyberTracker Conservation in South Africa to provide field evaluations for those with wildlife tracking skills, as a means of testing observer reliability, teaching and preserving tracking skills, and sifting out competent trackers for employment (http://wildlifetrackers.com/). Mark has authored and coauthored several field guides to wildlife tracking, animal skulls and mammal behavior (http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Elbroch/e/B001ILHI96) and is a regular National Geographic CatWatch contributor (http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/author/melbroch/).