Yihenew A. Berhanu
Lecturer and Researcher in Ecology, Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, Wachemo University
- Member directory
- Ethiopia
My background is mainly in species conservation, education and capacity exchange. I researched mother-young interactions in gorillas and chimpanzees, in captivity and the wild. After that, I worked for three years in Indonesia, where I developed and implemented youth ambassador and community engagement programmes on local and regional scales. I co-founded WildHub, a community of nature conservation professionals, in 2020 and work as their Community Lead. I am furthermore on the Advisory Board of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent where I obtained my PhD on capacity development for conservation in 2022.
Originally from Florida, USA, I received my Bachelors of Science in Zoology from the University of Florida while pursuing research on African dwarf crocodiles and population genetics. I then went to the University of Central Florida to receive my Masters of Science in Biology, publishing my first peer-reviewed paper on the demography and population structure of the endangered Florida Key deer using non-invasive genetic sampling. In 2018 I moved to Nebraska, USA, to work at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium where I worked as the program and grants manager to their field conservation project in Madagascar, the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, a Malagasy NGO. Currently, I work for the Conservation Centers for Species Survival, as their Development Associate.