SWAG Wildlife Lecture: Wolves With A Taste For Nectar

What happens when a chance observation catches the attention of a wildlife photographer, an ornithologist, and a team of wolf researchers?

High in the mountains of Ethiopia lies an ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth, home to an extraordinary community of endemic species. Among them is the Ethiopian wolf, the most endangered carnivore in Africa and one of the rarest canids in the world. There, researchers documented something no one expected: Ethiopian wolves seeking out the nectar of the Ethiopian red hot poker, potentially carrying pollen from flower to flower along the way.

This talk takes you behind the scene of this surprising discovery, from the first intriguing photographs to the study published in Ecology. It explores the remarkable ecology of the Ethiopian Highlands, its exceptional species, and the unexpected interactions among them.

About the Speaker

Dr. Sandra Lai is a wildlife ecologist studying mammals living in extreme environments. Using canids and small felids as model systems, her research examines movement, behavioural flexibility, social organisation, and life-history strategies across the High Arctic, high mountains and semi-deserts -- regions particularly vulnerable to climate change and human activities. Her research combines field ecology with technology to advance our understanding of carnivore ecology to inform strategies for biodiversity conservation.

Born and raised in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Sandra moved to Canada for her studies, earning degrees from Université du Québec à Montréal (BSc), INRS–Institut Armand-Frappier (MSc), and Université du Québec à Rimouski (PhD). Her research uncovered surprising results, such as the flexible winter ranging behavior of Arctic foxes and the previously unknown large-scale movement capacity of Arctic hares, which transformed the understanding of Arctic ecosystem functioning. As a WildCRU ecologist at the University of Oxford, she contributed to the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, investigating the ecology, population dynamics and disease management of the endangered Ethiopian wolf while supporting long-term monitoring and field conservation across Ethiopia. She also collaborates on research and conservation initiatives involving other threatened carnivores, including black-footed cats, clouded leopards, and island foxes. She is currently returning to the Canadian High Arctic to lead research on the ecology of Arctic predators using emerging technologies, including passive acoustic monitoring.

"Ultimately, conserving the Ethiopian Highlands is about protecting not only its species, but also the intricate relationships that connect them and make this ecosystem unique."
-- Dr. Sandra Lai