Dr Rhea Burton

Teaching & Scholarship Lecture

r.burton@bangor.ac.uk

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Qualifications

  • PhD: The influence of resource variability on the movement behaviour of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) across spatiotemporal scales
    2015–2022
  • Professional: PGCertHE Stages 1 & 2
    2018
  • BSc: Zoology with Animal Behaviour
    2013

During my time at Bangor, I have developed a varied portfolio of teaching activity. I have successfully completed my Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) Stage 2, and I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I am Course Director for the new Zoology with Animal Management degree programme (beginning September 2022: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/c335-zoology-with-animal-management) and module coordinator for associated core modules; Animal Management, Advances in Animal Management and Animal Husbandry Placement. I am passionate about enhancing student employability in the animal care sector, and have developed teaching and placement provision down at our University Farm, Henfaes Research Centre. The core modules within the Zoology with Animal Management degree have been developed with input from a number of external professionals within the industry, including; Welsh Mountain Zoo, Chester Zoo, Anglesey Sea Zoo and Knowsley Safari Park. I also supervise third year Undergraduate dissertations, I am Module Organiser for BSX-1030 Practical Skills 1 and I also contribute to the following modules:

  • Practical Skills 2 (BSX-1031)

  • BioScience Skills (BSX-2021)

  • Tutorials Year One (BSX-1028)

The main aim of my research is to gain an understanding of the key drivers of African elephant movement in relation to resource availability in the highly dynamic savanna ecosystem. I am particularly interested in how elephant family groups respond to periods of resource scarcity, and their facultative responses to changing conditions. I am currently analysing their movement patterns; in particular, their home ranges, habitat selection and movement rates in conjunction with season and resource availability. 

Through my research, I have formed collaborations with a number of prominent international institutions, including; Space for Elephants Foundation, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Kruger National Park Scientific Services, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. I am currently in the process of finalising two articles for publication, and have presented my work orally at two major international conferences in my field (12th International Mammalogical Congress, 2017 and the BioMove Symposium, 2018). 

2022