Tara Pirie

Dr. Tara Pirie is a Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at the University of Surrey's School of Biosciences. She holds a PhD in leopard and carnivore ecology and conservation from South Africa, alongside a BSc (Hons) in Zoology. Prior to academia, she worked as a zookeeper managing species like White Rhino, tigers, lemurs, and kangaroos, and trained as a safari guide to observe wildlife in natural habitats.

Her research focuses on

• Ecology
• Animal Behaviour
• Conservation strategies for big cats and African predators

with recent work emphasizing human-wildlife interactions and urban ecological systems. Recent publications explore sloth bear conservation in India, pest ecology in agricultural systems, and urban cat behavior impacts.

No scientific awards explicitly listed. Her teaching and research bridge field observations with applied conservation challenges, leveraging her multidisciplinary background in zoo practice and academic research.