Current Lab Members

Rachel M Lane: Human-wildlife interactions in Nepal and Indonesia

Beth L Ruthford: Understanding genetic diversity of Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis) in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

Bishnu P Pandey: Reproductive Biology and Behavioural Ecology of Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis) in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

Bishnu Prasad Pandey is a wildlife conservation professional, researcher, and educator with more than 25 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, wildlife management, and natural resource stewardship in Nepal. He is currently a PhD student in the Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources at Tarleton State University, Texas, USA.

His research focuses on conservation biology, primate behavior, human-wildlife interactions, wildlife ecology and species distribution modeling. His ongoing PhD research investigates the ecological, behavioral, and endocrine dynamics of the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) in Nepal. He has conducted extensive field research on primates along with snow leopards, clouded leopard, Himalayan wolf and human-wildlife interface, contributing significantly to wildlife conservation and protected area management in Nepal.

Bishnu has held several conservation and protected area management positions, including Conservation Officer and Park Ranger with Government and non-government organizations in Nepal. He earned his Master of Science in Biodiversity and Environmental Management through a joint program between Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and the University of Bergen, Norway, where he specialized in primate ecology and behavior. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His academic and professional background combines extensive field-based conservation experience with research and higher education, contributing to wildlife conservation and natural resource management in Nepal. 

Samundra Ambuhang Subba: Spatial Ecology of Snow Leopards in the Eastern Himalayas

Samundra Ambuhang Subba is a PhD student in Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources at Tarleton State University. He is working under Dr. Hemanta Kafley to investigate and shed novel insights into snow leopard's spatial ecology.

Samundra is a conservation biologist with over a decade of experience advancing large carnivore and community-based conservation in the Nepal Himalayas. He has a master’s degree in Conservation Biology at Lund University, Sweden, where his thesis focused on the highly persecuted and understudied Himalayan wolf in Dolpa.

Samundra has led conservation research for snow leopards, tigers, and prey species while embedding local communities at the heart of conservation action. He has institutionalized citizen science approaches, trained government and conservation stakeholders, and engaged communities across eight protected areas, seven biological corridors, and numerous community forests.

His notable accomplishments include leading Nepal’s first GPS telemetry study of snow leopards, successfully collaring seven individuals between 2013–2021, which provided groundbreaking ecological insights later integrated into national conservation action plans. Samundra also played a central role in Nepal’s globally recognized success of near tripling its tiger population in 2022 through robust study design, field implementation, and data analysis. Beyond scientific contributions, Samundra values his work in fostering positive conservation perceptions among local communities, where shared pride in wildlife recovery reflects the lasting impact of collaborative stewardship.