Overview
The application of ecological science to solve issues of conservation, harvesting and the pest control of animal species.
Wildlife management in its broadest sense is the science and practice of species conservation and restoration, as well as active management for the wise use of renewable natural resources.
The University of Otago provides an excellent base for wildlife studies, being within easy reach of largely untouched mountains, fiords, rainforests and wetlands, and there are a number of rare or threatened species within a few kilometres of the campus. The University has a concentration of ecologists active in research on wildlife species, and staff maintain strong links with conservation and research agencies, both within New Zealand and internationally.
A University of Otago qualification in Wildlife Management is an ideal qualification for those seeking employment as: conservation officers, pest control and resource managers, scientific research technicians, scientific advisers for government and non-government research and conservation organisations.
About this paper
| Paper title | Principles of Wildlife Management |
|---|---|
| Subject | Wildlife Management |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,701.51 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Notes
- Approval from the Head of Department of Zoology is required for non-PGDipWLM / MWLM students.
- Contact
- bruce.robertson@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
Co-ordinator: Professor Bruce C. Robertson
- Paper Structure
- Wildlife management is interdisciplinary, drawing from many fields of study (too numerous to cover in this paper alone), imagination and logic. Advances/discoveries in science are the raw material for improving wildlife management decisions and best practice. A successful wildlife manager is one that can synthesise knowledge and science from a range of these fields to improve management practices.
In this paper, you will have the opportunity to discuss a diverse range of topics in wildlife management with expert researchers and wildlife managers. We will examine these topics using a case-study approach, which will highlight current best practice and the application of various principles of wildlife management. These discussions should also highlight that improvements in best practice in wildlife management come from the synthesis of existing and new knowledge. - Teaching Arrangements
The paper includes seminars, group discussions and field excursions.
- Textbooks
- Textbooks are not required for this paper.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Environmental literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Otago Wildlife Management graduates will have an understanding of the processes and interactions at work in ecological communities and will recognise the principles of wildlife population persistence, change or decline. Students will graduate with a toolkit of techniques with which to gather and analyse information and answer questions about wildlife populations and will be able to apply their skills to address real-life problems. Above all MWLM graduates will have appreciation of the need for and an ability to apply critical thinking, scientific rigour and a systematic approach to the management of wildlife.