Ilija Pantelić

Ilija Pantelić serves as a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, specializing in Ecology and Environmental Protection. Appointed as Research Associate in 2023 following a Researcher Trainee position (2020-2023), he operates within the institution's research framework focusing on human-wildlife interfaces in Serbian urban landscapes.

His academic qualifications include:

• 2019: Biologist degree from the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade (Biology module)
• 2020: Master of Ecology from the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade (Model ecology specialization), with thesis titled “Territoriality and movement of jackals (Canis aureus L. 1758) in the suburban zone of Belgrade”

Pantelić’s research centers on golden jackal ecology in anthropogenically modified environments, particularly examining movement patterns, territorial behavior, and zoonotic disease transmission dynamics. His work bridges wildlife ecology with public health through investigations of Echinococcus and Toxoplasma gondii reservoirs in urban carnivores, utilizing telemetry and field observation methodologies to analyze spatial behavior and habitat preferences in human-dominated landscapes.

His 2021-2025 publication record reveals consistent focus on golden jackal adaptation to peri-urban Serbia, with emphasis on temporal movement trends, seasonal space utilization, and parasitological implications. These studies demonstrate how anthropogenic landscapes shape carnivore behavior while creating novel pathways for zoonotic disease transmission, particularly through golden jackals’ roles as reservoirs for Echinococcus and other pathogens in Belgrade’s expanding urban matrix.