Dr. Alexandra Zimmermann

Biography

Alexandra Zimmermann is an Associate Professor at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at the University of Oxford. She has over 25 years of experience in human-wildlife conflict and conservation conflict resolution, focusing on the hidden social causes of conflict and community-led solutions. Her work spans a wide range of socio-political contexts, addressing conflicts involving species such as jaguars, pumas, elephants, tigers, and bears across various countries. As the founding chair of the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group, she has led the development of global guidelines on human-wildlife conflict coexistence and has actively engaged in international policy negotiations related to biodiversity conservation. Zimmermann has trained numerous researchers and practitioners worldwide and has served as a senior advisor for various organizations, including the World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Zoology and Conservation Biology, respectively, and earned her doctorate in Conservation Social Research from the University of Oxford. Additionally, she has been involved in securing funding for projects aimed at promoting human-wildlife coexistence in South Asia and Latin America.

Research Interests