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Advancing wildlife health in conservation translocations: a scalable framework piloted in eastern black rhinos
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks – join in person or online. All welcome
Abstract: Conservation translocations are increasingly used to restore species and strengthen ecosystem resilience, yet health and welfare considerations are often insufficiently integrated into planning and evaluation. This seminar will present an ongoing project aimed at building a scalable framework to improve health monitoring in conservation translocations, developed through applied research and piloted with eastern black rhinos in Kenya.
The talk will highlight ongoing work to simplify data collection through field-adapted indicators and digital tools, strengthen interdisciplinary capacity across veterinary, ecological, and management sectors, and build more coordinated research approaches among disciplines. The discussion will also reflect on how integrating wildlife health into translocation practice aligns with emerging global biodiversity policy needs—particularly those related to restoration effectiveness, species recovery, and One Health integration
Biography: Dr Francesca Vitali, a wildlife veterinarian and research associate at the Smithsonian’s Global Health Program in Kenya, is dedicated to advancing wildlife medicine within the conservation and One Health framework. She leads a National Geographic Society project to improve health frameworks for translocated animals like the eastern black rhino, focusing on multidisciplinary collaboration, technological innovations, and research initiatives.
As the Smithsonian’s Global Health Program Wildlife Health and Welfare Training Kenya Lead, Vitali mentors future conservation scientists, providing theoretical and practical training to wildlife veterinarians. She holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan, where she also completed her Ph.D. research on the effects of immobilization in African wildlife.
She serves as a visiting scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute, collaborating with the Mpala Research Center, Kenya Wildlife Service Veterinary Department, and Wildlife Research and Training Institute. As a principal investigator, she has received several research grants and has been a National Geographic Society Explorer since 2018.
Date:
5 December 2025, 16:15
Venue:
Dyson Perrins Building, off South Parks Road OX1 3QY
Venue Details:
Place Suite, 1st floor (lift available)
Speaker:
Francesca Vitali (Smithsonian's Global Health Program, Kenya)
Organising department:
Environmental Change Institute
Organisers:
Carlyn Samuel (University of Oxford),
Jane Applegarth (University of Oxford, Oxford University Centre for the Environment)
Organiser contact email address:
biodiversity@ouce.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Professor Yadvinder Malhi (University of Oxford)
Part of:
Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and the Biodiversity Network seminar series
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://bookwhen.com/oxfordbiodiversitynetwork
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Jane Applegarth
