Mattia Bessone

Dr. Mattia Bessone is a Research Fellow in the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. He leads a project funded by the University of Konstanz's Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, focusing on wildlife sustainability in Central Africa's Congo Basin. His work integrates ecological and socio-economic dimensions of human-wildlife interactions, particularly assessing hunting impacts on prey behavior and population dynamics in collaboration with six villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Research Focus: Using camera-trapping, telemetry, and acoustic monitoring, Dr. Bessone evaluates ungulate and primate populations while tracking hunter spatial behavior via GPS technology. He links wildlife availability with hunting practices, consumption, and trade to assess sustainability, emphasizing subsistence vs. commercial hunting. Collaborations include the LuiKotale Bonobo Project and socio-economic studies on hunter networks, cooperation, and risk preferences with Prof. Urs Fischbacher and Dr. Iraeneus Wolf.

Field Impact: His interdisciplinary approach addresses both ecological conservation and human livelihoods, aiming to balance biodiversity preservation with community needs in remote DRC regions. Outputs include methodological innovations for wildlife monitoring and socio-ecological frameworks for policy.