Elise Say-Sallaz

Large carnivore ecology, their intraguild interactions and interactions with their prey in human dominated landscapes are the topics that I am interested in, because they are the underlying mechanisms of species distribution and abundances, and that knowledge can contribute to their conservation. During my PhD I studied predator prey interactions in a multipredator context in large terrestrial mammals. I used telemetry, camera trap and behavioural observations (playback experiment) data, to understand how prey antipredator responses are impacted by the predator’s species and what predator’s characteristic (such as body size, hunting strategy) was the main driver for prey antipredator response. Then, during my first postdoc I did a playback experiment in a South-African reserve (Madikwe) to assess impalas (Aepyceros melampus) behavioural antipredator response to sounds of African lion (Panthera leo), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) and leopard (Panthera pardus). Now as a postdoc I am part of a project that investigate grey wolves’ (Canis lupus) potential loss of fear of humans in Europe.