@andy_1robertson
I started my career in research with a PhD on badger ecology and behaviour with the University of Exeter (2009 – 2012). This research was working in collaboration with FERA (now APHA) and was focused on investigating variations in diet and foraging behaviour of badgers at Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire [1-3]. Woodchester Park is a long term study population of badgers which has been important in understanding many of the fundamental aspects of bovine TB in badgers. I recently wrote an article on the project for the British Ecological Society, along with a larger review paper [4].
Following my PhD I continued working for the University of Exeter, but based at Woodchester Park working alongside APHAs wildlife research team on a range of research projects relating to badgers and bovine TB. This work has involved research into several topics including; badger-hedgehog interactions [5], badger territorial and social behaviour [6,7], development of an oral vaccine for badgers [8-10], badger activity in farm yards [11] and badger population size estimation. This work has involved working on farms and in the field (surveying for badgers and conducting field work), conduction analyses, and presenting talks at meetings or training events.
In 2017 I started a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship working on bovine TB (click on the ‘home’ tab above for more details). The fellowship covers 80% of my time for the next three years (2017-2020).
In my remaining time I will continue to work alongside APHA at Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire, working on research projects related to badger ecology and management.
Links to my various profiles and publications
University of Exeter
Research Gate
Google Scholar
1. Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2015) Resource availability affects individual niche variation and its consequences in group-living European Badgers Meles meles. Oecologia 178: 31-43.
2. Robertson A, McDonald R, Delahay R, Kelly S, Bearhop S (2014) Individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the European badger (Meles meles). Oecologia 176: 409-421.
3. Robertson A, McDonald Ra, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2012) Whisker growth in wild Eurasian badgers Meles meles: implications for stable isotope and bait marking studies. European Journal of Wildlife Research.
4. McDonald JL, Robertson A, Silk MJ (2018) Wildlife disease ecology from the individual to the population: Insights from a long‐term study of a naturally infected European badger population. Journal of Animal Ecology 87: 101-112.
5. Trewby ID, Young R, McDonald RA, Wilson GJ, Davison J, et al. (2014) Impacts of Removing Badgers on Localised Counts of Hedgehogs. PloS one 9.
6. Robertson A, Palphramand KL, Carter SP, Delahay RJ (2015) Group size correlates with territory size in European badgers: implications for the resource dispersion hypothesis? Oikos 124: 507-514.
7. Benton CH, Delahay RJ, Robertson A, McDonald RA, Wilson AJ, et al. Blood thicker than water: kinship, disease prevalence and group size drive divergent patterns of infection risk in a social mammal; 2016. The Royal Society. pp. 20160798.
8. Palphramand K, Delahay R, Robertson A, Gowtage S, Williams GA, et al. (2017) Field evaluation of candidate baits for oral delivery of BCG vaccine to European badgers, Meles meles. Vaccine 35: 4402-4407.
9. Gowtage S, Williams GA, Henderson R, Aylett P, MacMorran D, et al. (2017) Testing of a palatable bait and compatible vaccine carrier for the oral vaccination of European badgers (Meles meles) against tuberculosis. Vaccine 35: 987-992.
10. Robertson A, Chambers M, Delahay R, McDonald R, Palphramand K, et al. (2015) Exposure of nontarget wildlife to candidate TB vaccine baits deployed for European badgers. European Journal of Wildlife Research 61: 1-7.
11. Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Wilson GJ, Vernon IJ, McDonald RA, et al. (2016) How well do farmers know their badgers? Relating farmer knowledge to ecological survey data. Veterinary Record.
