Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
@aidanbranney.bsky.social
UGA Presidential Research Fellow
Studying lion movement, carnivore communities, African predator-prey dynamics 🦁 🦒 🇳🇦
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, TAMUK 2022 🐗
Cal Poly Humboldt 2018 🌲
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aidan-Branney
Studying lion movement, carnivore communities, African predator-prey dynamics 🦁 🦒 🇳🇦
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, TAMUK 2022 🐗
Cal Poly Humboldt 2018 🌲
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aidan-Branney
Pinned
Another successful round of captures for the Greater Etosha Carnivore Program. We were able to successfully GPS collar and collect data from seven lions (Panthera leo) and three spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
New ocelot paper investigating factors that drove home range size in endangered ocelot populations in Texas! Hope you can give it a read: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
New ocelot paper investigating factors that drove home range size in endangered ocelot populations in Texas! Hope you can give it a read: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Lions across Africa are under threat from habitat loss, poaching, and wildlife trade.
A continent-wide survey of 132 lion subpopulations was conducted in collaboration with landscape managers and lion researchers to determine perceived threat severity.
[1/2] @biology.ox.ac.uk
A continent-wide survey of 132 lion subpopulations was conducted in collaboration with landscape managers and lion researchers to determine perceived threat severity.
[1/2] @biology.ox.ac.uk
September 25, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Lions across Africa are under threat from habitat loss, poaching, and wildlife trade.
A continent-wide survey of 132 lion subpopulations was conducted in collaboration with landscape managers and lion researchers to determine perceived threat severity.
[1/2] @biology.ox.ac.uk
A continent-wide survey of 132 lion subpopulations was conducted in collaboration with landscape managers and lion researchers to determine perceived threat severity.
[1/2] @biology.ox.ac.uk
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
September 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
Another successful round of giraffe captures for the GECP. We tagged 8 female giraffes and are currently monitoring them with solar powered tail tags.
September 13, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Another successful round of giraffe captures for the GECP. We tagged 8 female giraffes and are currently monitoring them with solar powered tail tags.
Such a beautiful lioness came by the waterhole today 🦁
August 28, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Such a beautiful lioness came by the waterhole today 🦁
After weeks of patience a lioness finally decided to come take a drink from the waterhole.
August 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
After weeks of patience a lioness finally decided to come take a drink from the waterhole.
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
I've argued that bioinvasions should be treated w/ the same precautionary approach applied to natural disasters (redpath-staff.mcgill.ca/ricciardi/Ri...). Society invests in plans for extreme hazards that may never happen, b/c their occurrence is unacceptable. Invasions should be treated similarly.🧵
August 15, 2025 at 2:01 AM
I've argued that bioinvasions should be treated w/ the same precautionary approach applied to natural disasters (redpath-staff.mcgill.ca/ricciardi/Ri...). Society invests in plans for extreme hazards that may never happen, b/c their occurrence is unacceptable. Invasions should be treated similarly.🧵
Insane close encounter with bush elephants at the watering hole
July 27, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Insane close encounter with bush elephants at the watering hole
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
We're hiring! Remote work on red wolf behavior 🐺🧪
jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id...
jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id...
Breeding Behavior Technician - Red Wolf | Natural Resources Job Board
jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu
July 22, 2025 at 10:09 PM
We're hiring! Remote work on red wolf behavior 🐺🧪
jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id...
jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id...
Another successful round of captures for the Greater Etosha Carnivore Program. We were able to successfully GPS collar and collect data from seven lions (Panthera leo) and three spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
July 10, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Another successful round of captures for the Greater Etosha Carnivore Program. We were able to successfully GPS collar and collect data from seven lions (Panthera leo) and three spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Such a phenomenal evening aiding in the recollaring effort for this lioness: XPL139 with the Lion Ranger Program in NorthWestern Namibia.
With a fresh collar on her, the Lion Rangers will be able to continue monitoring her movements and potential conflict with livestock owners in the Kunene. 🦁
With a fresh collar on her, the Lion Rangers will be able to continue monitoring her movements and potential conflict with livestock owners in the Kunene. 🦁
June 30, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Such a phenomenal evening aiding in the recollaring effort for this lioness: XPL139 with the Lion Ranger Program in NorthWestern Namibia.
With a fresh collar on her, the Lion Rangers will be able to continue monitoring her movements and potential conflict with livestock owners in the Kunene. 🦁
With a fresh collar on her, the Lion Rangers will be able to continue monitoring her movements and potential conflict with livestock owners in the Kunene. 🦁
Elephant encounter in the Kunene region. Such wondrous creatures
June 26, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Elephant encounter in the Kunene region. Such wondrous creatures
New note on a puma preying on California condors in Southern California. Hope you can give it a read: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
June 20, 2025 at 3:58 AM
New note on a puma preying on California condors in Southern California. Hope you can give it a read: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Woah! Such an important study published in Nature today! Quick thread with some of their key figures!
🧵
🧵
June 19, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Woah! Such an important study published in Nature today! Quick thread with some of their key figures!
🧵
🧵
So many tracks out in the bush of the Kunene region in Namibia ! Lots of sign of lion (Panthera leo), spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta), and African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus). Really cool to see how they move on the landscape.
June 18, 2025 at 6:14 PM
So many tracks out in the bush of the Kunene region in Namibia ! Lots of sign of lion (Panthera leo), spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta), and African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus). Really cool to see how they move on the landscape.
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Have you ever cited or come across a mention of the 'human shield hypothesis' and wondered: what is the evidence for this hypothesis, and what is the quality of that evidence? Wonder no more!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The Human Shield Hypothesis: Does Predator Avoidance of Humans Create Refuges for Prey?
The human shield hypothesis posits that predators avoid areas of human disturbance due to perceived risk from humans, and prey therefore seeks refuge in these areas of perceived safety. Our systemati....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Have you ever cited or come across a mention of the 'human shield hypothesis' and wondered: what is the evidence for this hypothesis, and what is the quality of that evidence? Wonder no more!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Excited to finally go in the field after a year of reading, writing, taking classes at UGA. Etosha and Kunene here I come !
a close up of a lion 's face with its mouth wide open
ALT: a close up of a lion 's face with its mouth wide open
media.tenor.com
June 6, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Excited to finally go in the field after a year of reading, writing, taking classes at UGA. Etosha and Kunene here I come !
One final reptile before changing continents : a baby yellow bellied slider 🥺
June 1, 2025 at 12:08 PM
One final reptile before changing continents : a baby yellow bellied slider 🥺
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Wake up, babe! New White House detailed budget just dropped (spoiler: it’s not great for science)
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
www.whitehouse.gov
May 31, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Wake up, babe! New White House detailed budget just dropped (spoiler: it’s not great for science)
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
One final pina colada before changing continents to kick off my PhD in Namibia
May 31, 2025 at 1:41 AM
One final pina colada before changing continents to kick off my PhD in Namibia
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Researchers in Costa Rica found that pig carcasses decomposed twice as fast when vultures had access to them.
The absence of vultures led to a doubling of fly populations at carcass sites, which could affect human health, since these flies can carry diseases like botulism and anthrax.
The absence of vultures led to a doubling of fly populations at carcass sites, which could affect human health, since these flies can carry diseases like botulism and anthrax.
Without vultures, carcasses are slow to rot and disease-carrying flies abound
“Absolutely disgusting, so grim, the worst fieldwork of my life, but also extremely rewarding in a very odd way,” said Julia Grootaers, describing her three months collecting data among rotting pig…
news.mongabay.com
May 26, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Researchers in Costa Rica found that pig carcasses decomposed twice as fast when vultures had access to them.
The absence of vultures led to a doubling of fly populations at carcass sites, which could affect human health, since these flies can carry diseases like botulism and anthrax.
The absence of vultures led to a doubling of fly populations at carcass sites, which could affect human health, since these flies can carry diseases like botulism and anthrax.
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Re: “should I stay on twitter,” some science friends say they might want to stay there to continue to educate far-right conspiracy loons about science.
One thing about this argument is that I am much better than most people are at this, and it did not work when I tried.
🤷
One thing about this argument is that I am much better than most people are at this, and it did not work when I tried.
🤷
May 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Re: “should I stay on twitter,” some science friends say they might want to stay there to continue to educate far-right conspiracy loons about science.
One thing about this argument is that I am much better than most people are at this, and it did not work when I tried.
🤷
One thing about this argument is that I am much better than most people are at this, and it did not work when I tried.
🤷
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
Excited to share that our work previously shared as a preprint is now out today in it's final peer-reviewed form in PLOS One! #OpenAccess
Canadian natural science graduate stipends lie below the poverty line, by Fraass et al. 2025
Canadian natural science graduate stipends lie below the poverty line, by Fraass et al. 2025
🚨 New Paper 🚨
Coauthors and I just published our work in PLOS One on Canadian graduate funding. We found that Canadian graduate funding falls _well_ below cost of living.
On average, $10kCAD below cost of living.
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Coauthors and I just published our work in PLOS One on Canadian graduate funding. We found that Canadian graduate funding falls _well_ below cost of living.
On average, $10kCAD below cost of living.
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
May 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Excited to share that our work previously shared as a preprint is now out today in it's final peer-reviewed form in PLOS One! #OpenAccess
Canadian natural science graduate stipends lie below the poverty line, by Fraass et al. 2025
Canadian natural science graduate stipends lie below the poverty line, by Fraass et al. 2025
Reposted by Aidan Branney, M.Sc.
NSF Physics was cut by 85%, basically wiping out most of its capacity for supporting research.
NSF Astronomy was cut by 53%
Undergrad education was cut by 71% and research on learning by 79%
Graduate education was cut by 100% to ZERO.
#GiftLink ⚛️🔭
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
NSF Astronomy was cut by 53%
Undergrad education was cut by 71% and research on learning by 79%
Graduate education was cut by 100% to ZERO.
#GiftLink ⚛️🔭
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades (Gift Article)
The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:34 PM
NSF Physics was cut by 85%, basically wiping out most of its capacity for supporting research.
NSF Astronomy was cut by 53%
Undergrad education was cut by 71% and research on learning by 79%
Graduate education was cut by 100% to ZERO.
#GiftLink ⚛️🔭
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
NSF Astronomy was cut by 53%
Undergrad education was cut by 71% and research on learning by 79%
Graduate education was cut by 100% to ZERO.
#GiftLink ⚛️🔭
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Beautiful red tailed hawk I encountered while strolling through the botanical gardens. Very calm individual
May 21, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Beautiful red tailed hawk I encountered while strolling through the botanical gardens. Very calm individual