Dr Laura LaBarge (she/her)

I am a wildlife biologist originally from Upstate New York where I grew up hiking and trail running. Most of my fieldwork is from the Soutpansberg mistbelt forests of northern South Africa where I began working in 2015 and from the Adirondack Mountains in North America. My research in rare Afromontane 'sky-island' ecosystem with collaborators from Durham University focuses on predator-prey interactions. I co-lead collaborations using movement data to uncover the ecological consequences of inter-individual variation in large predators ('keystone individuals') and to better understand the behavioural consequences of predator-prey interactions and fear in wildlife (in collaboration with Dr. Andy Allan). My PhD research focused on the spatial ecology of the nationally endangered samango monkey in northern South Africa with The Primate and Predator Project.

My current role at Exeter includes building a (near) real-time tracking system for terrestrial wildlife in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park with the long-term Banded Mongoose Research Project. This system will deliver data on interactions and avoidance between groups that are difficult to directly observe, but highly risky for these animals. 

I was previously a Postdoctoral Scientist with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (2021-2023) and have worked collaboratively with wildlife NGOs on examining the 'keystone' roles and ecology of mountain lions/pumas. I have experience living for long periods in remote and challenging areas, managing field sites and teams of fieldworkers, and working in cross-cultural groups for the benefit of wildlife.

Before my PhD (2016-21, The State University of New York), I held a range of roles in research and wildlife management. 

I have received funding from the L.B.S Leakey Foundation (2018-2020), Animal Behavior Society, Explorer's Club, Mark Diamond Awards, RGZ Conservation Fund, and held a SUNY Presidential Fellowship (2016-2020).

Collaborative work has also been featured by a range media organisations and is used in outreach/educational materials by conservation NGOs:

Pumas maintain relationships with nearly 500 living species

The Guardian: Why the puma is a leading influencer in the animal kingdom

This cat holds ecosystems together

National Observer: When it comes to the animal kingdom pumas have their claws in everything