Prof Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz

I am a tropical conservation ecologist with a keen interest in interdisciplinary approaches to conservation. I am also an optimist and passionate about education and empowering the coming generations of tropical conservationists, not only in academia but also in governments, NGOs, and the private sector. Most of my research focuses on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of Asian megafauna, particularly elephants, which I have studied for over 15 years. My research group studies the ecological function (seed dispersal, herbivory) of large animals in tropical rain forests and works on developing evidence-based strategies to promote human-wildlife coexistence. I live and work in Peninsular Malaysia, where I conduct most of my field research; previously I have conducted research in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore, Japan, Mongolia, and other Asian countries. Although I’m an ecologist by training, over the years my work has become highly interdisciplinary (from poo to governance!) because I believe that understanding and influencing human behavior is the main challenge for conservationists in the 21st century.