Tracking the Pride: Integrating Technology and Traditional Knowledge to Study Lions in Semi-arid systems
Institute Seminar by Genevieve Finerty
- Date: Jul 15, 2025
- Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Genevieve Finerty
- Dr Genevieve Finerty is a behavioural ecologist and conservation scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and Head of Research at Leopard Ecology & Conservation in Botswana. Her work explores the drivers and consequences of group living in large carnivores, with a focus on African lions in semi-arid ecosystems. She combines high-resolution movement and acoustic data with local ecological knowledge and landscape perspectives to better understand collective behaviour, coordination, and human–wildlife coexistence. Genevieve’s research bridges technological and interdisciplinary approaches to understand how animals make decisions in challenging and variable environments.
- Location: MPI-AB Möggingen
- Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Möggingen + Online
- Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
- Contact: afogato@ab.mpg.de
Group living in social carnivores like lions is often framed through the lens of cooperation and competition, but these dynamics unfold in ecologically diverse and spatially complex systems. In this talk, I explore how lions navigate group living in semi-arid environments, drawing on long-term field research in Botswana and Namibia. Using a combination of biologging technologies, including high-resolution GPS and acoustics, and insights from local ecological knowledge, I examine the movement, coordination, and social structure of whole lion groups across shifting landscapes. The talk reflects on methodological challenges and opportunities, from integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to the logistics and payoffs of collaring entire prides. I’ll also touch on emerging insights into space use and connectivity, and discuss how fine-scale behavioural data can inform broader conservation strategies in dryland ecosystems. While the focus is on lions, the themes—scale, context, and knowledge integration—offer broader relevance to animal behaviour and landscape ecology.
The MPI-AB Seminar Series is open to members of MPI and Uni Konstanz. The zoom link is published each week in the MPI-AB newsletter.