Kaimātai Hauropi | Ecologist
Kaiaho | Graduate
My background ranges from spending significant periods collecting data in the field using a variety of monitoring techniques to developing and applying animal husbandry and handling expertise in a zoo setting. In general, my experience has largely focused on kororā and herpetofauna.
Prior to joining Boffa Miskell, I was an ectotherm, bird and primate keeper at Wellington Zoo, where I worked closely with exotic and native wildlife, conducted gecko handling training and assisted with several lizard breeding programmes.
During my MSc research, I conducted visual surveys, radio-tracked arboreal jewelled geckos, and used thermal imaging when assessing the long-term implications of hard and soft release methods on translocation success, as well as the thermal and spatial suitability of a new open-top display habitat.
My fieldwork experience extends to assisting with mark-recapture surveys for fur seal pups and frog populations, pitfall trapping, the use of artificial refuges and spotlighting to monitor and detect lizards, as well as nestbox monitoring, camera trapping and burrowscoping to monitor kororā presence and breeding success.
I’m looking forward to applying my knowledge and skillset to a range of ecological projects and continuing to learn and grow as an ecologist.
Qualifications
Master of Science (Distinction), Wildlife Management, University of Otago
Post-Graduate Diploma (Distinction), Wildlife Management, University of Otago
Bachelor of Science, Ecology & Botany, University of Otago