AGWP Team
The Atlas Golden Wolf Project was founded by Liz AD Campbell in collaboration with WildCRU at the University of Oxford with David Macdonald, Claudio Sillero, and Terry Burke (University of Sheffield). The project is in collaboration with Sidi Imad Cherkaoui of Moulay Ismail University in Meknes, Morocco and Mohammed Znari of Cadi Ayad University in Marrakech, Morocco.
Liz AD Campbell
I have been living and working in Morocco since 2013, initially on the research and conservation of the endangered Barbary macaque and its habitat in the Atlas Mountains. Recognizing the critical importance of predators to an ecosystem, I began studying wild canids in the Middle Atlas Mountains in 2015, which are now the largest and most abundant predators remaining in the region due to the recent extinction of large felids. Shortly after this study began, it was discovered that the “golden jackals” I had been observing were in fact golden wolves. I realized this research could not only answer my original questions, but could also provide some of the first information on this newly-discovered species in North Africa. Recognizing the lack of information on the ecology and conservation status and threats of golden wolves, as well as the prevalence of human-predator conflict in the region that was creating problems for both predators and people, I founded the Atlas Golden Wolf Project with WildCRU at the University of Oxford in 2017.
Research Assistants 2017-18
I was born and grew up in El Jadida, Morocco. Since childhood, I was always fascinated by the beauty of nature, especially the ecological role of mammals in their ecosystems. Since then, my love for animals has led me to complete a Bachelors Degree in Animal Biology at the University of Chouaib Doukkali, Morocco. After that, I completed a Masters degree in Ecology at the same university. For my Master's thesis, I worked on the social organization and rhythm of activity of a semi-captive population of Mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) in Safia enclosure in the Moroccan Atlantic Sahara. I have also worked on several occasions with a Spanish research team to monitor several carnivore species such as Caracal lynx, African golden wolves, and others using camera-traps and animal tracking methods.
Samantha Siomko (November 2017-present)
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2017 from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, but not before having the opportunity to work with several species of bats from around the world, including Trachops cirrhosus bats in Panama and several species of Flying-fox in Australia. My love for wolves grew during my years as a volunteer at the Wolf Sanctuary of PA, and I hope to soon continue my education in order to learn more about these magnificent animals.
Field/Data Research Assistants
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Maxwell McDaniel (July 2018-present)
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Dr. Jennifer Sherry (November 2017-March 2018)
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Laura Talbert (July 2018)
Human-Wildlife Conflict Translator/Transcribers
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Asmae Essabbani (August 2018-present)
