Craig Packer
Craig Packer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 (age 75–76) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (B.S., 1972) University of Sussex (Ph.D., 1977)[1] |
| Known for | study of lions, study of animal pathology, conservation, authorship |
| Spouse |
Susan James (m. 1999) |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (1990) John Burroughs Medal (1995) Distinguished McKnight University Professorship (1997) American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biology, Ecology, Zoology |
| Institutions | IUCN, Lion Researcher Center, National Geographic, Savannahs Forever Tanzania |
Craig Packer (born 1950, Fort Worth, Texas) is an American biologist, zoologist, and ecologist chiefly known for his research on lions in Serengeti National Park.[1][3] He is the founder and director of both the Lion Research Center and Whole Village Project, as well as the co-founder of Savannahs Forever Tanzania. In addition, Packer has been a professor in the University of Minnesota's department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior since 1983.[2] Since his graduation from Stanford University in 1972, Packer has become an active researcher and scientist, having published over 100 scientific articles and authored two books. For one of these books - Into Africa - Packer was awarded the John Burroughs Medal in 1995.[4] He has received various honors and awards in recognition of his work as a biologist. Packer has been ordained with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1990, a Distinguished McKnight University Professorship in 1997, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003.[5][6][7] He is a regular contributor to National Geographic and the IUCN.[8][9][10]
Biography
Packer was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1950.[1] He attended his local Eastern Hills High School in 1964 and graduated in 1968.[2] Growing up, Packer was originally interested in being a doctor or an engineer, and originally sought medical school after graduating from high school. However, these fields did not support his desire to work out in the field and to travel to exotic places. Furthermore, Packer was fascinated by evolution and animal ethology. He ultimately abandoned his place in Stanford University's School of Medicine to work as a field assistant for Jane Goodall in Gombe National Park, Tanzania to study olive baboons.[1][8]
He graduated Stanford in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Human Biology.[2] He later attended the University of Sussex to complete his doctoral research on baboons, graduating with a Ph.D. in Behavioral Ecology in 1977. After a subsequent study on Japanese macaques in Hakusan National Park, Packer returned to Tanzania in 1978 as the head of the Serengeti Lion Project. His interest in lions derives from their unique behavior as social carnivorans, and it is a passion he continues to exercise as director of the Lion Research Center.
References
- ^ a b c d "Craig Packer". University of Minnesota. 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Packer, Craig (November 3, 2010). "About". Facebook. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Interview: Lion Expert Craig Packer". Public Broadcasting Service. September 6, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- ^ John Burroughs Association. "John Burroughs Medal Award List". John Burroughs Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Craig Packer". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Distinguished McKnight University Professors". University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Professor Craig Packer". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "Craig Packer". National Geographic. 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Today I Learned: Female Lions Are Attracted to Black Manes". National Geographic. 2016. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ Bauer, H.; Packer, C.; Funston, P.F.; Henschel, P.; Nowell, K. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Panthera leo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T15951A115130419. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T15951A107265605.en.