Whether tracking tiger kills in the field or sifting through data at my desk, the process of using science to develop conservation solutions keeps me inspired and curious. My applied, interdisciplinary research on big cats and other species in Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America explores several themes:

• Wildlife trafficking and trade
  
• Human-wildlife coexistence
• Carnivore ecology
• Biodiversity conservation

"Trust, respect, cultural sensitivity, and empathy are crucial elements of the professional relationship...as part of the professional process of conflict mitigation."
- Miller et al. 2017,
Economic & Political Weekly

Wildlife Trafficking & Trade

 

The legal and sustainable trade of wildlife and their products is essential to human subsistence, society and culture, yet is undermined by a multi-billion-dollar industry of illegal trade that threatens ecosystems, international security, economic stability, public health and the safety and welfare of local communities. My work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Combating Wildlife Trafficking Branch informs international policy and conservation practice to help keep wildlife in the wild.

Credit: USFWS (public domain)

Research highlights:

• Systematic map on evidence that counter-wildlife crime interventions are effective for conserving wildlife in Ecological Solutions and Evidence (2024)
  
• Systems approaches to combating wildlife trafficking in Frontiers in Conservation Science (2021)
  

Human-Wildlife Coexistence

 

Expanding human populations, shrinking habitats and, in some places, recovering wildlife lead people and animals to interact. Especially with carnivores, contact can lead to conflict and lethal control when animals threaten human safety or livelihoods. My collaborative research with Defenders of Wildlife, the Yale School of the Environment, University of California-Berkeley, Cornell University and others advances tools and theories to enable people and wildlife to sustainable coexistence through:

• Spatial predation risk modeling, a modeling approach to predict and map conflict hotspots to inform management
• Coexistence frameworks, which provide guiding theories on how people and wildlife interact across systems, sites and species
• Evaluation of tool effectiveness, to objectively quantify how well tools work under various conditions

An owner who lost his goat to a leopard in central India. Credit: Jen Miller.

Research highlights:

• Ecological framework for carnivore-livestock conflict in Conservation Biology (2020)
  
• The best available science for preventing carnivore predation on livestock in PLOS Biology (2018)
• Human perceptions mirror realities of carnivore attack risk for livestock in PLOS One (2016)

Carnivore Ecology

Tigers, wolves, spiders and other predators are not only awe-inspiring animals, they also play vital roles in driving ecosystem structure and function. By affecting the behavior, distribution and mortality of prey and other predators, carnivores shape the trophic interactions that comprise food webs. Understanding how predators shape species and ecosystems can provide insights for more effectively managing wildlife. I have partnered with colleagues at Panthera, WWF, the Wildlife Institute India and other institutions to study carnivore ecology and behavior and how species interactions influence food webs and management.

Tiger in central India. Credit: Jen Miller.

Research highlights:

• Pumas as ecological brokers in Mammal Review (2022) | Covered by Newsweek
  
• The case for rewilding the jaguar in the U.S. in Conservation Science and Practice (2021) | Covered by 182 news outlets
  
• Lion and leopard interspecific competition in Journal of Animal Ecology (2018)
  
• Predator hunting mode predicts prey spatial response in Journal of Animal Ecology (2013)
  

Biodiversity Conservation

People have transformed the planet's land, sea and climate to the extent that biodiversity is declining faster than ever before in human history. Given the limited resources in conservation, we need to invest in nature, build partnerships and work towards measurable outcomes to ensure we save what matters most. My research with Defenders of Wildlife, Panthera and other institutions explores the drivers of species declines and the solutions to conserve our planet's most threatened species, addressing topics such as:

• Wildlife conservation funding
• Transboundary conservation
• Sustainable trophy hunting
• Protected area costs, models and management

Zebra and wildebeest at a watering hold in southern Africa. Credit: Jen Miller.

Research highlights:

• Solve the biodiversity crisis with funding in Science (2019)
• More than $1 billion needed annually to secure African lions in PNAS (2018)
  
• U.S.-Mexico border wall threatens biodiversity and binational conservation in BioScience (2018)
  
• Age restrictions increase selectivity of lion sport hunting in Journal of Applied Ecology (2018) | Access
  
• Models for the collaborative management of African protected areas in Biological Conservation (2018) | Access

Prowling leopard in South Africa. Credit: Jen Miller.