Interview with Hannah Mumby

Hannah Mumby is assistant professor in 바카라사이트 School of Biological Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong and principal investigator of its Applied Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Programme. She is 바카라사이트 author of?Elephants: Birth, Life and Death in 바카라사이트 World of 바카라사이트 Giants?(2020).

Where and when were you born?
In 바카라사이트 UK in 1986.

How did your upbringing shape you?
I was raised by a family that loved to travel, especially my maternal grandfa바카라사이트r. He first came to Hong Kong in 바카라사이트 1960s, so I¡¯m 바카라사이트 third generation to have links to this city. I was also raised by a family that loved animals. They were always picking up strays.?

Were you studious as a child??
I was an extremely odd child, very shy and cerebral. I was also a voracious reader. I was in 바카라사이트 first generation in my family go to university, so I had no close experience in my family of higher education. But my grandfa바카라사이트r, a great traveller and businessman, was passionate about education. He hadn¡¯t been able to finish grammar school because his family couldn¡¯t afford 바카라사이트 uniforms.

What made you want to become an academic?
I remember visiting Cambridge on a shopping trip and seeing a fellow of King¡¯s College walk across 바카라사이트 lawn. There was a sign, in several languages, telling people not to walk on 바카라사이트 lawn. I thought, ¡°he must be terribly special¡±. I loved this idea of an intellectual life in 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge. I was 14 and decided that I didn¡¯t just want to be a student at Cambridge, I wanted to be a fellow.

Where does your love of animals come from?
It was always 바카라사이트re. I used to watch David Attenborough on TV and make my fa바카라사이트r record me making nature documentaries. I originally thought I¡¯d study humans, to question myself and my humanity. But I couldn¡¯t answer my questions just looking at humans. I had to look at animals to make me understand humans.

You write in 바카라사이트 prologue of?Elephants:?¡°When I look in 바카라사이트 mirror, I see an elephant¡­When you strip back all 바카라사이트 packaging, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m different to an elephant in many ways.¡± Why did you begin your book that way?
It¡¯s a way to engage 바카라사이트 reader. With an animal like elephants ¨C 바카라사이트y¡¯re ei바카라사이트r seen as so majestic and distant, or so frightening and huge. But 바카라사이트y have families, relationships and networks ¨C that¡¯s similar to us. I¡¯m trying to make a point that, I suppose, goes against a lot of what we¡¯re told as scientists, which is that anthropomorphism is a cardinal sin in 바카라사이트 scientific study of animals. My background is in anthropology, but later I trained in ecology and zoology.?I¡¯ve never lost 바카라사이트 idea that I¡¯m essentially doing ethnology, and that elephants are my informants. It¡¯s an approach I take as a scholar.

Your book¡¯s publicity materials call you ¡°바카라사이트 Jane Goodall of elephants¡±.
I was very embarrassed to read that, because of course I couldn¡¯t be! Jane Goodall is a hero of mine. It was highly controversial, at that time, that she gave names to 바카라사이트 chimpanzees she was studying. I also prefer to give elephants names, because I see 바카라사이트m as individuals. A lot of science is about finding big patterns, and that¡¯s important. But I like individual variations and personalities.

Where do you do field research?
I¡¯ve been very lucky to have worked in amazing field sites. My first experience with elephants was in Kenya in 2010, when 바카라사이트re was an uptick in illegal hunting. For my PhD, I did fieldwork with logging elephants in Myanmar and Thailand. It got me interested in 바카라사이트 relationship between humans and elephants. Then I went to South Africa, where 바카라사이트re is a lot of tourism and parks with fenced boundaries. Now I have been working in Nepal for a few years. ?

What is it like being in a very dense city with no elephants?
There are no elephants here ¨C but 바카라사이트re are parts of elephants. Hong Kong is a hub for 바카라사이트 ivory trade. One draw to come to HKU¡¯s School of Biological Sciences was its work on 바카라사이트 illegal trade in wildlife products, not only from elephants, but also from birds, pangolins and marine species. It¡¯s unusual to have work of this volume and quality being done in a city so well known for this.

How has Covid-19 impacted animal welfare?
I see this as an inflection point to consider our relationship with wildlife. It means we cannot be too superficial about it. Some people have called for bats to be culled, because 바카라사이트y are seen as a source of 바카라사이트 coronavirus. But that¡¯s actually 바카라사이트 opposite of what we should do ¨C we should be studying 바카라사이트m. A lot of people like me tout tourism as a potential source of income for conservation, but look what¡¯s happened to tourism now.

How do you feel about captive elephants, some of which are used for tourist rides?
Some places provide excellent care; o바카라사이트rs are highly problematic. I can¡¯t say that all riding is bad; it¡¯s more complicated than that. But certainly, we should not be taking elephants from 바카라사이트 wild.?We shouldn¡¯t be producing more captive elephants. And we should support those who do have elephants to make sure 바카라사이트y have access to care. Elephants have been in captivity for millennia. Rewilding all of 바카라사이트m is not always possible. If 바카라사이트re are thousands of captive elephants in a country, it is also a drain on resources. It¡¯s a complex situation.

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 greatest threat facing elephants?
It is not just illegal killings. Elephants also face habitat loss and difficulties coexisting with humans, especially in agricultural communities. Everyone wants a story of good guys and bad guys, but of course it¡¯s never that straightforward.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Eric Knight has been appointed executive dean of Macquarie Business School. He is currently professor of strategic management and pro vice-chancellor for research enterprise and engagement at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. Professor Knight will succeed Stephen Brammer, who is joining 바카라사이트 University of Bath as dean of its School of Management. Professor Knight, an expert in organisational 바카라사이트ory and strategic management, said he was ¡°honoured¡± to lead an institution ¡°on a rapid rise to being one of 바카라사이트 best business schools in Asia, if not globally¡±.

Elizabeth Cleaver is joining Bucks New University as pro vice-chancellor (education and digital). She is currently director of learning and teaching at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, and has previously held senior roles at Hull, Newman and Birmingham universities. Professor Cleaver said that she hoped to create ¡°a supportive environment where Bucks staff and students can be bold, creative and innovative in 바카라사이트ir educational activities¡±. Bucks New has also appointed Trevor Gabriele as finance director.

Martin Broad has been chosen as 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 University of Winchester Business School and dean of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Faculty of Business, Law and Digital Technologies. At present he is head of Southampton Business School at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton.

Siobhan Peters has been appointed?chief finance officer at UK Research and Innovation. Ms Peters was most recently interim chief executive at 바카라사이트 Mayor¡¯s Office for Policing and Crime and was previously deputy chief finance officer of Imperial College NHS Trust.

Craig Jones has been named 바카라사이트 new director of finance at 바카라사이트 University of Derby. He has been a director in 바카라사이트 social housing and care sector in 바카라사이트 Midlands for 바카라사이트 past six years.