Abstract

The world is pulsing with animal life that is constantly on the move. Dr. Roland Kays documents the pulse of the moving planet. He uses GPS units to track migrating birds and camera traps to ‘catch’ pictures of mammals as they walk by, and he works with citizens and scientists to collect data across the country. His work reveals not only how movement connects the planet, but also how humans are part of this ecological network. As we know now from concept of One Health, not only do humans affect animals, but our well being is tied to theirs. The COVID epidemic has made this point even more clear -- we cannot separate ourselves from nature, instead we have to learn how to manage interactions to reduce the risk. Dr. Kays argues that understanding movement ecology can help us find ways to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

Roland Kays, Ph.D., is a research professor in the College of Natural Resources at NC State and the director of the Biodiversity Lab at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Dr. Kays is interested in how, where, and why animals move.  His work has allowed him to explore tropical rainforests, African savannas, and suburban woodlots. He was co-discoverer of the olinguito, a species of mammal from Ecuador, and is the cofounder of the Movebank animal tracking database and the eMammal camera-trapping database. Dr. Kays has written two books (Mammals of North America and Candid Creatures: How Camera Traps Reveal the Mysteries of Nature) and hosts the Wild Animals Podcast. Dr. Kays earned his B.S. from Cornell University and his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee.

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WANT TO LEARN MORE?

1. Learn about the Fisheries Wildlife and Conservation Biology major at NC State.

2. Visit the website of the ICARUS tracking antenna on ISS and eMammal camera trapping.

3. Visit Dr. Kays' website and Twitter feed .

4. Check out Dr. Kays' Wild Animals Podcast to hear crazy stories about animals, told by the people who study them.