• Question: Does your job impact your community in a good way?

    Asked by SophieFarrell to Carrie, Cedric, Ellen, Ines, Rupert on 8 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Carrie Ijichi

      Carrie Ijichi answered on 8 Mar 2017:

      I try to make sure it does. My research can help people understand their companion animals better so that they live happier lives. That would make people safer and happier, as well as their animals

    • Photo: Ines Goncalves

      Ines Goncalves answered on 8 Mar 2017:

      My findings don’t improve policies or help find the cure for diseases, but I like to think that when my findings about animal behaviour are shared with the wider public, they bring smiles to some people’s faces. That’s a good thing isn’t it?

    • Photo: Ellen Williams

      Ellen Williams answered on 9 Mar 2017:

      My research is going to hopefully help to improve the way we keep elephants in zoos in the future – in terms of what we offer them socially – so answering questions like is group size important, do animals need to be related, etc. I think the more ‘naturally’ an animal is behaving in a zoo the more beneficial the zoo experience is for the public. I also try to talk about my work to a range of different audiences so hopefully that too has a positive impact … even if it is just that people leave with a warm fuzzy feeling after seeing lots of elephant pictures!

    • Photo: Rupert Marshall

      Rupert Marshall answered on 10 Mar 2017:

      Yes! Studying animal behaviour means I am unlikely to cure cancer or bring world peace. But I do study similar processes in animals, from how populations grow to how animals sort out their conflicts. And many people are just interested in animals – think about how many watch David Attenborough on tv. So animal behaviour scientists help entertain and educate the public by finding out new things – and sometimes by giving talks to the public or being on radio or tv. As a scientist working at Aberystwyth university I also teach hundreds of students about animal behaviour, giving then skills in writing and thinking and presenting that they can use in many jobs, not just as a scientist.

    • Photo: Cedric Tan

      Cedric Tan answered on 14 Mar 2017:

      I really hope so!

      My work on clouded leopard help authorities be wary of the illegal deforestation and the need to protect the ecological linkages that they had planned:

      My work on chickens and flies help us understand behaviour, some of which we exhibit. Like brothers helping each other out!

Comments