A complete list of my academic papers, articles, and research publications. Use the filters below to find specific publications.

Rising temperatures increase risk of pathogen exposure for African wild dogs

Ngatia, D. K., Woodroffe, R., Ferguson, A. W., Ford, A. T., Lamb, C. T., Lentaam, S., Ngatia S. W., Goheen, J. R.
In Preparation
2025

This study investigates how increasing temperatures affect disease exposure risks in African wild dog populations, with implications for conservation management in changing climates.

Keywords:
Climate Change
African Wild Dogs
Disease Ecology
Conservation
Pathogens
Temperature Effects
Global Warming
Wildlife Health

Integrated Community‐Based Reporting and Field Diagnostics for Improved Rabies Surveillance in Rural Laikipia, Kenya

Odinga, C. O., Thomas, L. F., Wambugu, E., Ferguson, A. W., Fèvre, E. M., Gibson, A., Worsley‐Tonks, K. E., Ngatia, D. K.
Zoonoses and Public Health
2025
3 citations

This research describes implementation of an integrated community-based reporting and field diagnostic system for improved rabies surveillance in rural Laikipia, Kenya.

Keywords:
Rabies
Community Reporting
Surveillance
Kenya
Zoonoses
Field Diagnostics
Rural Health
Disease Control
One Health

Mammals show faster recovery from capture and tagging in human-disturbed landscapes

Stiegler, J., Gallagher, C. A., Hering, R., Müller, T., Tucker, M., Apollonio, M., Ngatia, D. K., Blaum, N.
Nature Communications
2024
5 citations

This study demonstrates that mammals in human-disturbed landscapes show accelerated recovery from capture and tagging events compared to those in pristine environments, potentially indicating adaptations to anthropogenic stressors.

Keywords:
Wildlife
Animal Tagging
Human Disturbance
Adaptation
Conservation
Anthropogenic Stress
Recovery Rates
Wildlife Monitoring
Behavioral Adaptations

Coat colour is associated with climate and habitat in African wild dogs

Daniels, L., Rabaiotti, D., McIntosh, A., Ramage, A., De Lorm, T., Aebischer, T., Becker, M., Beverley, G., Castells, D., Donald, W., Drouilly, M., Elizalde, S., Funston, P., Groom, R., Hanssen, L., Horion, R., Jumbam, K., Kabwe, R., Maude, G., Mooney, R., Ngatia, D., Parsais, S., Poupard, A., Searle, C., Strampelli, P., van der A, R., Watermeyer, J., Wekesa, M., Woodroffe, R.
Conservation Biology
2024

This research investigates the relationship between coat coloration in African wild dogs and their habitat and climate conditions, suggesting adaptive significance of coat patterns for thermoregulation and camouflage across different environments.

Keywords:
African Wild Dogs
Coat Color
Climate Adaptation
Habitat
Evolution
Phenotypic Variation
Thermoregulation
Natural Selection
Adaptive Traits

Evaluating rabies outbreaks and intervention effectiveness across endangered African wild dog populations with recommendations for future mitigation

Gold, S., Banda, K., Becker, M., Beverley, G., Blisnston, P., Donnelly, C. A., Goodheart, B., Groom, R., Ngatia, D., Schalkwyk, L. V., Woodroffe, R.
Conservation Biology
2024

This study evaluates rabies outbreaks in endangered African wild dog populations and assesses the effectiveness of various intervention strategies, providing recommendations for future disease management approaches.

Keywords:
African Wild Dogs
Rabies
Disease Management
Endangered Species
Vaccination
Outbreak Response
Wildlife Health
Population Viability
Disease Ecology
Conservation Interventions

African wild dogs are hot and hungry: Response to Creel et al. (2023)

Woodroffe, R., Abrahms, B., English, H., Jumbam, K., Linden, J., Ngatia, D., Rabaiotti, D., McNutt, J. W.
Biological Conservation
2023
7 citations

A response to Creel et al. (2023) addressing aspects of African wild dog ecology related to thermal stress and hunting behavior, with implications for conservation management.

Keywords:
African Wild Dogs
Thermoregulation
Hunting Behavior
Conservation
Thermal Stress
Climate Effects
Energy Budget
Endangered Species
Scientific Debate

Hunting behavior and social ecology of African wild dogs

Jordan, N. R., Golabek, K. A., Marneweck, C. J., Marneweck, D. G., Mbizah, M. M., Ngatia, D., Watermeyer, J.
Social Strategies of Carnivorous Mammalian Predators: Hunting and Surviving as Families
2023
12 citations

This book chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the hunting strategies and social organization of African wild dogs, examining how pack dynamics influence hunting success and survival in different environments.

Keywords:
African Wild Dogs
Social Behavior
Hunting Strategies
Pack Dynamics
Predator-Prey Interactions
Cooperative Hunting
Group Living
Carnivore Ecology
Social Organization

Predicting potential distributions of large carnivores in Kenya: An occupancy study to guide conservation

Broekhuis, F., Ngene, S., Gopalaswamy, A. M., Mwaura, A., Dloniak, S. M., Ngatia, D. K.
Diversity and Distributions
2022
21 citations

This occupancy study models potential distributions of large carnivores in Kenya, providing critical information for conservation planning and protected area management to support carnivore populations.

Keywords:
Carnivores
Species Distribution
Occupancy Modeling
Kenya
Protected Areas
Conservation Planning
Habitat Suitability
Wildlife Management
Biodiversity

Biogeography of the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758) in Africa, with first records for Laikipia County, central Kenya

Ngatia, D. K., Webala, P. W., Mware, M. J., Butynski, T. M., de Jong, Y. A., Ferguson, A. W.
African Journal of Ecology
2021
1 citations

This study documents the first records of Egyptian mongoose in Laikipia County, Kenya, and examines the species' biogeography across Africa, contributing to our understanding of carnivore distributions and range expansions.

Keywords:
Egyptian Mongoose
Range Expansion
Kenya
Species Distribution
Carnivores
Biogeography
Range Documentation
Laikipia
New Records
Geographic Range

Dispersal behaviour of African wild dogs in Kenya

Woodroffe, R., Rabaiotti, D., Ngatia, D. K., Smallwood, T. R., Strebel, S., O'Neill, H. M.
African Journal of Ecology
2020
22 citations

This research investigates dispersal patterns and behaviors of African wild dogs in Kenya, examining sex-specific dispersal strategies, dispersal distances, and implications for population connectivity and conservation.

Keywords:
African Wild Dogs
Dispersal
Movement Ecology
Kenya
Conservation
Population Connectivity
Sex-Specific Behavior
Home Range
Spatial Ecology

Volunteer based approach to dog vaccination campaigns to eliminate human rabies: Lessons from Laikipia County, Kenya

Ferguson, A. W., Muloi, D., Ngatia, D. K., Kiongo, W., Kimuyu, D. M., Webala, P. W., Martins, D. J.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2020
19 citations

This study evaluates a volunteer-based approach to dog vaccination campaigns for rabies elimination in Laikipia County, Kenya, providing insights into community engagement strategies for effective disease control programs.

Keywords:
Rabies
Vaccination
Community Engagement
Dogs
Kenya
Zoonotic Disease
Public Health Intervention
Volunteer Programs
Disease Elimination
One Health