Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) are an important native species maintained in zoos across the UK as part of regulated, conservation breeding programmes. They are housed in a variety of enclosures that differ in design, complexity, social composition and management. Zoos represent a novel, highly variable environment in which animals must adapt to social, physical and management conditions that differ from the wild. Understanding how individual characteristics interact with environmental conditions within these systems can provide valuable insights into behavioural development and plasticity, which can shape animal management from the perspective of welfare and conservation. This PhD is an exciting collaboration with Peak Wildlife Park. The PhD aims to investigate the development and expression of behavioural phenotypes in zoo-housed red squirrels, with a particular focus on interactions between individual traits, developmental history, and environmental conditions across life stages.

​

Deadline: November 23

​​

This PhD will evaluate how UK zoo education programmes and zoo spaces foster public connection to nature and drive behaviour change. Working with British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the student will apply social science frameworks to audit conservation education interventions at multiple BIAZA zoos. By intersecting visitor outcomes with ESRC poverty databases, the project will map how socioeconomic deprivation impacts equitable access to nature-based learning. The PhD researcher will play a pivotal role in shaping the project's empirical focus by selecting target audiences, ranging from children and families to under-represented adult communities, and determining the key geographic regions they wish to investigate. Through tailored social science methodologies, the researcher will explore how varied local contexts and structural barriers influence public engagement. Ultimately, the candidate will co-design and refine educational frameworks alongside BIAZA partners to ensure zoo spaces deliver inclusive, equitable, impactful conservation engagement.

​​