In Spring 2025, two researchers from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences at CZU traveled to the untouched savannah in the heart of Africa at the invitation of the organization African Parks (AP). Associate Professor Karolína Brandlová and Professor Pavla Hejcmanová had a unique opportunity to observe the Eastern giant eland in its natural habitat for the first time, gaining firsthand insight into its ecology and behavior.
Their journey involved a three-hour flight in a small C208 aircraft from the capital city, Bangui, followed by numerous logistical challenges in a completely remote area cut off from civilization. The invitation was not coincidental— Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences has collaborated with African Parks, one of the most respected organizations in African wildlife conservation, for two decades. Over the years, numerous students and faculty members have participated in field internships, developed theses, and integrated into professional teams in various national parks, often securing long-term positions in their desired careers. Graduates of the master's program in Wildlife Management and Conservation are ideal candidates for AP, and many have been working in Central African parks under AP’s management for years.
"Our students and graduates have worked in several countries where conservation is a challenging endeavor," explains Karolína Brandlová. "It started with ground and aerial mammal surveys in Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal, followed by elephant and giraffe conservation in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Then came work with elephants and lions in Zakouma National Park in Chad, pangolins in Odzala National Park in Congo-Brazzaville, western hartebeest and korrigum in Pendjari National Park in Benin," she elaborates. "Finally, giant elands in Chinko Reserve in the Central African Republic—where the first FTZ master’s student arrived in 2016, later successfully defended her thesis, and became a long-term AP team member," she adds.
The Wildlife Ecology Lab at FTZ CZU Prague, in collaboration with Antelope Conservation, has been a proud partner of African Parks for two decades. FTZ students continue to have open doors for internships in these unique biodiversity conservation parks, and many are expected to find fulfilling careers in this field, just as their predecessors have.
