From bat-eared foxes to bats - a trip down memory lane

Meet Low de Vries – friendly, enthusiastic, adventurous and absolutely loves fieldwork! He is passionate about bats and has broad interests and experience in several different fields of zoology. Low is a great example of how hard work, commitment and enthusiasm pays off with great opportunities. He joined the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) in 2007 when he started his BSc Honours on mole rats. He then went on to enrol for an MSc on bat-eared foxes, but this was upgraded in 2010 to a PhD on aardwolves when his study animals disappeared from the field site. He completed his PhD on the Impacts of a specialist diet on aardwolf ecology a few years later.

I asked Low if he felt that his work with the MRI has acted as a springboard for his current career, and he agreed strongly, saying that the collaboration and support within the MRI is something very special. Apart from the exciting work experiences that are possible for enthusiastic students, he also reminisced about the 10am coffee club and Friday socials which are great places to meet, share ideas, and all too often, talk about the time that Allan Donald didn't run! He believes that it is the social, welcoming atmosphere enjoyed by students and staff alike that gives birth to great research ideas.

“ Back when we were undergrads I jokingly said, "I won't make money, but I will make a difference". That was really just a line to keep my spirits up when talking to my more materialistic friends. Jokes aside though, I have been fortunate to have incredibly rich experiences in my line of work – more so than most people will have in a lifetime! From a leopard waking up during transport, to watching the sunset from the airfield at Sitara; frogging, trapping snakes, bird surveys… and so the list goes on. One day, whether you have made a difference, big or small, it is these stories that reflect a life well-lived. ”

Ansell's mole rat (UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA CAMPUS) PHOTO: LOW DE VRIES

When I asked Low to choose one thing that really piques his scientific interest he didn’t hesitate - “BATS - hands down!”. When he was busy with his MSc he helped Justin Boyles to catch bats on a few occasions. At the time he found them very interesting but over the past few years he has worked with several different species, studying them in great depth. He finds bats to be fascinating creatures, both physiologically and behaviourally.  They have a really important role in the ecosystem, much greater in fact than most people realise.

Upon finishing up his PhD he worked on Marion Island for a year as part of the Marion Island Marine Mammal Programme, gaining valuable experience living in an isolated environment in extreme weather conditions, whilst working on seals, killer whales and even seabirds. After returning to the mainland he then did a Post Doc at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, where he conducted field research on a wide variety of species, such as pangolins, goats, bush babies and even beautiful sungazer lizards.

who’s watching who? low with his all-time favourite study animal

Following his second post-doctoral degree at the Centre for Viral Zoonoses in the Department of Medical Virology (University of Pretoria), he was then appointed as a researcher in the same department. He has been working on the movement ecology and diet of Egyptian rousettes fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus).

He has started a business called Volant Environmental, which does consultancy, research, conservation and education work, primarily on bats and birds, but also on other small and large mammals. Low’s plans for the future are primarily focused on conservation and returning to the real reason he chose zoology as a career. Through Volant he hopes that he can make his mark in bat conservation, whether it be through education, creating awareness, consultancy or any other means.

AARDWOLF, BAT-EARED FOX AND HONEY BADGER PHOTO CREDIT: LOW DE VRIES

Meredith Thornton, Science Communicator

Mammal Research Institute