Doctoral Students

Sonja Krüger BSc (Hons), MSc (UNP) (based in KwaZulu-Natal) Tel: +27 82 877 4122 Fax: +27 86 611 6841 Email: skrueger@kznwildlife.com

About Sonja

Sonja grew up and matriculated in Johannesburg before moving down to Pietermaritburg where she did her BSc and BSc (Hons) in Zoology at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. She completed her MSc on Wild Dog feeding ecology in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in 1997 and has been employed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife as the ecologist for the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site since 1998. As the ecologist for a 242 000 Ha protected area, Sonja is responsible for providing ecological advice to address biodiversity conservation issues in the Park, including management planning and developing and coordinating research and monitoring programmes for the Park.

Sonja initiated the Maluti-Drakensberg Vulture Project in the Maluti Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation area in 2000. The project’s activities in the past 10 years include monitoring Bearded Vulture nesting activity, investigating the ranging behaviour of the birds by fitting them with satellite tracking devices and identifying threats to the species. Sonja heads the Bearded Vulture Task Force of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey Programme, whose aim it is to implement the Bearded Vulture Conservation Action Plan.

Thesis

Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus meridionalis population dynamics and conservation in the 21st Century (Supervisors: Dr. Arjun Amar & Dr. Rob Simmons).