The Team

Janice (Jan) Reed-Smith, M.A.

AON Management Team; Rubondo Otter Project team member; IUCN-SSC OSG member

Jan did her Master’s project on the habitat use and behaviour of spotted-necked otters on Rubondo Island National Park, Tanzania

Margherita Bandini, M.S.

AON Tech, Public Relations Director, Management Team; IUCN/SSC OSG Deputy Chair; Ethologist; FGASA

Margherita has been working for and with otters for more than ten years in both research and awareness. 

Carol Bennetto

AON Management Team; AON Education and Outreach Director; IUCN-SSC OSG Education Coordinator and member; Founder of OtterEd

Carol has an extensive background working in education and on otter awareness projects.

Dr. Thomas Serfass, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Frostburg State University; Rubondo Otter Project Head; IUCN-SSC OSG member

Dr. Trevor McIntyre, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Mammal Research Institute; Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria

Dr. Mordecai (Mordy) Ogada, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Wetlands Policy Consultant, Kenya, IUCN-SSC OSG member

Rowan Jordaan, M.S.

AON Advisory Member; University of Pretoria (study institution), IUCN-SSC OSG member

Dr. Nicola Okes, PhD

AON Advisory Member; University of Cape Town (study institution)

Dr. Helene Jacques, DVM

AON Advisory Member; IUCN-SSC OSG member and Coordinator for Africa

Dr. Hugues Akpona, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Congo Landscape Manager; African Wildlife Foundation; IUCN-SSC OSG member

Dr. Pat Foster-Turley, PhD

AON Advisory Member; IUCN-SSC OSG member, USAID Consultant

Dr. Jo Thompson, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Lukuru Foundation, President/Executive Director, Democratic Republic of Congo, IUCN-SSC OSG member

Dr. David Rowe-Rowe, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Retired Natal Parks Board, IUCN-SSC OSG member

Dr. Kristin Brzeski, PhD

AON Advisory Member; NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Dr. Michael Somers, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Univ. of Pretoria; IUCN-SSC OSG member and Continental Coordinator for Africa

Nicci Wright

AON Advisory Member; Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist, Executive Director of the African Pangolin Working Group, IUCN-SSC OSG member

Thabang Madisha

AON Advisory Member; National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, working on a PhD on genetics of the African clawless otter and spotted-necked otter

William Mgomo

Tanzania – AON Advisory Member

Samson Dognimon

Benin – spotted-necked otter and fishermen conflict.

Chabi Djagoun

AON Management Team; Benin – University Professor, leading the otter-fishermen conflict project.

Luke Twinamasiko

Uganda – Executive Director of Joint Efforts for Green Mountain Initiative.

Katrina Fernandez, PhD

AON Advisory Member; Ecologist and Director of Wild Otters Research; Deputy Coordinator for Education&Outreach; IUNC/SSC OSG Member

Dan Forman

AON Advisory Member; Associate professor at Swansea University; Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority.

Faouz Kilani

AON Advisory Member; Tunisian Association for Wildlife; PhD on otter distribution in Tunisia.