Satellite transmitters were deployed on four adult female southern right whales, allowing for detailed investigations into the migration and feeding behaviour of these animals.
Read MoreLarge mammals shape their environment and are of great importance to the tourism and conservation industry.
Read MoreThe Mammal Research Institute’s Whale Unit is currently conducting boat-based fieldwork in Walker Bay in the Western Cape. The main species of interest is the Bryde’s whale, a sleek rorqual with three ridges on its rostrum and an upright, curved dorsal fin towards the back of its body. Usually shy, elusive and fast-moving, they travel long distances in search of their prey, meaning that data collection on Bryde’s whales is both exciting and challenging!
Read MoreThe southern right whale, South Africa’s charismatic poster child for conservation, has been well on the road to recovery since commercial whaling finally ceased in the 1960s. Sadly, this conservation success story now hangs in the balance as they face a new and deeply concerning threat to their recovery.
Read MoreMeet 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.
Read MoreThe Whale Unit of the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute (MRI) will be conducting their annual aerial survey of southern right whales from 27 September through to mid-October. This is the 41st annual southern right whale photo-identification aerial survey, making this one of the longest running datasets on any marine mammal worldwide.
Read MoreTwo hundred and seventy cetacean experts worldwide have signed an open statement to global leaders calling for action to urgently address the precarious situation of many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises (collectively known as ‘cetaceans’). Threats of extinction due to harmful human activity, such as incidental bycatch by fisheries, chemical and noise pollution, global warming and ship strikes, are faced by many species.
Read MoreLightweight biologgers with multiple sensors (acoustic, camera, locality, accelerometer etc.) will be developed and deployed initially on domestic animals in order to test their efficacy and collect test data before field deployments in France and southern Africa go ahead.
Read MoreWith only about 5% of the ocean having been properly explored scientists estimate that more than 90% of ocean species are yet to be discovered, let alone described, and sadly many of these species are almost certainly being driven to extinction. At the Mammal Research Institute we are particularly keen on one specific group of ocean inhabitants – the marine mammals.
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Established in 1966, the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute is the premier entity for African mammalian research
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