Editorial Team
Managing Editor
Suzannah Goss, Managing Editor
Section Editors
Lydia Natalie Tiller, oversight of African elephant manuscripts
Keryn Emslie, oversight of African and Asian rhino manuscripts
Copy Editors
Andrew Halliday
Suzannah Goss
Lucy Vigne
Editorial Board Members
Dr Benson Okita-Ouma: co-Chair of the African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG)
Dr Benson Okita-Ouma, MBS, is the Director of the Wyss Academy for Nature East Africa Hub (April 2022 to present) and has been the co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group since 2018. Ben worked for Save the Elephants as the Director of Policy and Planning on wildlife corridors and connectivity. He headed the rhino conservation programme at the Kenya Wildlife Service and has 24 years of professional experience. Ben’s doctorate is in large mammal ecology, he is well published and is an awardee of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS, Kenya) for distinguished service.
Professor Rob Slotow: co-Chair of the African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG);
Professor at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Rob focuses on applied research that can be translated into practical solutions, working on the conservation of large mammals, biogeography of invertebrates, land use planning for environmental sustainability, and the environmental contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Rob leads large, transdisciplinary projects and is the Oppenheimer Fellow in Functional Biodiversity to catalyze socio-ecological research and mentor emerging researchers.
Dr David Balfour: Chair of the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG);
and is a member of both the IUCN AfRSG and AfESG
Following two decades in formal conservation in South Africa, David embarked on a freelance career in conservation ecology. David’s formal experience focused on the interface between science and management, using science to guide decision-making about conservation management. He spent 10 years as a park ecologist before taking on roles in senior and executive management. With a MSc degree in forest ecology and a PhD in savannah ecology, David has extensive field experience in both ecosystems. More than 60% of his time as a consultant draws on his specialist expertise in large mammal management.
Dr Bibhab Talukdar: Chair of the Asian Rhino Specialist Group (AsRSG);
Senior Advisor of the International Rhino Foundation for Asian Rhinos
Bibhab was one of the founders of Aaranyak established in 1989 and is currently the Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of Aaranyak. Bibhab has served as a member of the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBW) 2008–2010. Bibhab is currently also a member of the Assam State Board of Wildlife. Bibhab has been involved in Indian Rhino Vision 2020 in Assam and in monitoring wildlife crime in NE and South Asia since 1998. He is an expert for the Assam State Biodiversity Board. Bibhab has coordinated more than 40 projects in India related to applied research and conservation.
Keryn Emslie: Section editor overseeing rhino material for Pachyderm;
Member of IUCN SSC’s AfRSG and private ecological consultant
Keryn has worked in rhino research, management and monitoring since 1987, including on black rhino habitat compositions and diets, body condition assessment, comparative population performance across populations, detailed regional rhino status reporting of >130 sites in southern Africa covering 1989–2018, and habitat carrying capacity assessments in sites throughout Africa (and in Nepal) to inform reintroductions and removals. She has also contributed to various national rhino conservation strategies.
Dr Sam Ferreira: Scientific programme officer for the ARSG; works for SANParks as a large mammal ecologist
Sam’s area of focus is to improve how large mammals contribute to the well-being of people. Sam’s interests span many disciplines, including population trends and how factors such as poaching, droughts and density influence these. Optimal anti-poaching approaches, crime network disruption and responses that address the motivation for poaching are another area of his work. Sam is acutely aware of the communication frameworks associated with conservation and the African solutions for African opportunities linked to wildlife. RBM Senior Award, Academic Colours.
Dr Deborah Gibson: Long-term member of the AfESG; past section editor (Elephants) of Pachyderm
With a PhD in mammalian ecology, Debbie has spent over 40 years as an ecologist in Africa, initially in Zimbabwe’s The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management (DNPWLM), where her work included studies of wildlife population dynamics, protected area management and aerial surveys. As a freelance consultant, she has undertaken a variety of consultancies throughout southern Africa, from supporting governmental research programmes to elephant and protected area management planning and EIAs. Much of her work has focused on designing sustainable monitoring systems and conducting aerial surveys.
Suzannah Goss: Managing Editor of Pachyderm (2015–current)
MSc in Environmental decision-making, thesis subject community conservation
Suzannah is responsible for producing the journal, published annually. Editorial management responsibilities include preparation and delivery of Pachyderm, fundraising requests and liaison, comms, coordination of manuscripts on the OJS, procedural review, copy-editing, and picture research. Management extends to supervising all work with external consultants. Before joining Pachyderm, Suzannah worked for UNEP as a knowledge management programme officer with REDD+ (DEPI-P3). Suzannah is a ‘Lead Expert’ (biophysical studies in protected areas) with the Kenyan National Environmental Monitoring Authority.
Dr Lydia Tiller: Section editor overseeing elephant material for Pachyderm;
Member of the IUCN SSC’s AFESG; Head of Human-Elephant Coexistence at the Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE)
Lydia heads projects with a focus on human-elephant coexistence and connectivity in the Amboseli ecosystem. Before joining ATE, she spent more than a decade working with elephants in Asia and Africa. Lydia worked for Save The Elephants in Tsavo, Kenya as their Research and Science Manager where she coordinated field research and managed an elephant tracking program. She completed her PhD on elephants at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent.
Dr Lucy Vigne: Member of the AfESG, AfRSG, AsRSG, MIKE, and on the editorial board of Pachyderm for many years.
In 1983 Lucy was editor of the African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group Newsletter for IUCN and started Pachyderm in 1984. She was the first executive officer of the IUCN SSC African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group from 1983–1985. With an MA in Zoology and PhD in Social Sciences, she has carried out field research on anti-poaching, the ivory and rhino horn trade in many African and Asian countries for over 40 years.
