Annabel Walker

First class BSc (Hons) degree in Wildlife Conservation from Liverpool John Moores University
Project: MRes in Natural Science Investigating the reproductive physiology of Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi, with a preliminary insight into associations with gut microbiome at MMU

I obtained my BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Conservation from Liverpool John Moores University in 2023, during which I completed a year in industry placement at Chester Zoo’s Conservation Physiology and Reproduction lab. During my placement, I optimised a faecal extraction method for the Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, comparing wet vs dry samples and a range of solvent concentrations. Since graduating, I have worked as a Scientific consultant contract within the Conservation Physiology and Reproduction lab, using non-invasive tools to monitor and improve knowledge on a range of species reproductive health.

For this MRes I am researching the reproductive physiology of Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi, with an exploratory investigation into associations with gut microbiome. Native to Papa New Guinea, Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is an arboreal omnivore threatened by primary habitat loss and cultural trading. Parallel to a declining in-situ population, current ex-situ breeding rates are low and little reproductive knowledge is known about both reproductive and non-reproductive individuals.

Ex-situ breeding programs are vital for the establishment of self-sustaining populations for vulnerable and declining species. Captive conditions provide the unique opportunity to better understand reproductive and physiological monitoring processes in species that may not be feasible to study under natural conditions. This study will use non-invasive faecal steroid hormone analysis to hopefully give an insight into both sexes’ gonadal activity and a further understanding to female oestrous cyclicity, sexual maturity and male androgen fluctuations. Suboptimal reproductive success can be related to various endogenous and exogeneous parameters, in particular the relationship between dietary intake and overall health. Relative to in-situ populations, numerous captive species display reduced gut microbiome diversity and abundance, however, there is limited knowledge regarding the consequential effects of poor gut microbiota on reproductive health and success. This research will explore the variation in gut microbiome in this species, and explore any correlations with body condition and reproductive success.

Supervisors: Dr Scott Pedley, Dr Andrew Dean, Dr Katie Edwards