Learn More ABout the Wild nature institute

Monica L. Bond, PhD
Wildlife biologist & biodiversity activist.
Principal Scientist for Wild Nature Institute.
Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Zurich.
Academic Affiliate in Biology at Penn State University

Research Interests:

• Sociality & demography of giraffes in Tanzania
• Spatial & temporal abundance and distribution of ungulates in a fragmented ecosystem of Tanzania
• Fire ecology of Spotted Owls & Black-backed Woodpeckers in California
• Space use by small mammals in western grasslands

Administrative Expertise:

• Strategic Planning & Organizational Development
• Budgeting & Financial Planning

Education:

PhD, Ecology, University of Zurich
MS, Wildlife Science, Oregon State University
BA, Biology, Duke University

Memberships:

The Wildlife Society (Certified Wildlife Biologist)
Society for Conservation Biology
ORCID

Experience:

2010-             Founder, Chief Financial Officer & Principal Scientist
                         Wild Nature Institute, an independent science, education & advocacy organization.

2023-             Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
                         University of Zurich

2022-2023   Swiss National Science Foundation Fellow, Doñana Biological Station-Spanish Council for Scientific
                         Research
                         Extinction risk and mitigation for giraffes.

2011               Biologist 
                         The Institute for Bird Populations
                         Foraging & nesting ecology of Black-backed Woodpeckers in burned forests.

2004-2010    Research Assistant
                         Point Blue
                         Long-term demography of Northern Elephant Seals.

2008-2009    Field Biologist
                         NMFS Pacific Islands Marine Science Center
                         Long-term research on the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. 

2006-2007    Co-Principal Investigator
                         The Institute for Bird Populations
                         Post-fire use of forests by California Spotted Owls.

2001-2006    Staff Biologist
                         Center for Biological Diversity
                         Worked to ensure adequate protection for imperiled species on public & private lands.

1999-2001    Research Fellow
                         University of Minnesota Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology
                         Demography and ecology of California Spotted Owls in the central Sierra Nevada.

1998               Field Biologist
                         The Institute for Bird Populations
                         Demography & toxicology of Western Burrowing Owls.

Selected Scientific Publications:
(click titles to download articles)

·  Kiffner C, Foley CAH, Lee DE, Bond ML, Kioko J, Kissui BM, Lobora AL, Foley LS, Nelson F. 2024. The contribution of community-based conservation models to conserving large herbivore populations. Scientific Reports 14:16221. DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-66517-9.

·  Cavener DR, Bond ML, Wu-Cavener L, Lohay GG, Cavener MW, Hou X, Pearce D, Lee DE. 2024. Sexual dimorphisms in body proportions of Masai giraffe and the evolution of the giraffe’s neck. Mammalian Biology DOI:10.1007/s42991-024-00424-4.

·  Bierhoff, L, Bond ML, Ozgul A, Lee DE. 2024. Anthropogenic and climatic drivers of population densities in an African savanna ungulate community. Population Ecology 66:274-293. DOI:10.1002/1438-390X.12182

·  Bond ML, Lee DE, Paniw M. 2023. Extinction risks and mitigation for a megaherbivore, the giraffe, in a human-influenced landscape under climate change. Global Change Biology 29:6693–6712. DOI:10.1111/gcb.16970.

·  Lohay GG, Lee DE, Wu-Cavener L, Pearce DL, Hou X, Bond ML, Cavener DR. 2023. Genetic evidence of population subdivision among Masai giraffes separated by the Gregory Rift Valley in Tanzania. Ecology and Evolution 13:e10160. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10160

·  Bond, ML, Ozgul A, Lee DE. 2023. Effect of local climate anomalies on giraffe survival. Biodiversity and Conservation 32:3179–3197. DOI:10.1007/s10531-023-02645-4

·  Lee DE, Lohay GG, Madeli J, Cavener DR, Bond ML. 2023. Masai giraffe population change over 40 years in Arusha National Park. African Journal of Ecology 61:345-353. DOI: 10.1111/aje.13115

·  Bond ML, Chi TY, Bradley CM, DellaSala, DA. 2022. Forest management, Barred Owls, and Wildfire in Northern Spotted Owl territories. Forests 13:1730. DOI:10.3390/f13101730

·  Lee DE, Lohay GG, Cavener DR, Bond ML. 2022. Using spot pattern recognition to examine population biology, evolutionary ecology, sociality, and movements of giraffes: a 70-year retrospective. Mammalian Biology 102:1055-1071. DOI:10.1007/s42991-022-00261-3

·  Morandi K, Lindholm AK, Lee DE, Bond ML. 2022. Phenotypic matching by spot pattern potentially mediates female giraffe social associations. Journal of Zoology 318:147-157. DOI:10.1111/jzo.13009

·  James NL, Bond ML, Ozgul A, Lee DE. 2022. Trophic processes constrain seasonal ungulate distributions at two scales in an East African savanna. Journal of Mammalogy 103:956-969. DOI:10.1093/jmammal/gyac050

·  Kiffner C, Bond ML, Lee DE. 2022. Tarangire: Human-Wildlife Coexistence in a Fragmented Ecosystem. Ecological Studies Series Volume 243, Springer Nature.

·  Levi M, Lee DE, Bond ML, Treydte AC. 2022. Forage selection by Masai giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Mammalogy 103:737-744.

· Lavista Ferres JM, Lee DE, Nasir Md, Chen Yu-Chia, Bijral AS, Bercovitch FB, Bond ML. 2021. Social connectedness and movements among communities of giraffes vary by sex and age class. Animal Behaviour 180:315-328.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Ozgul A, Farine DR, König B. 2021. Leaving by staying: Social dispersal in giraffes. Journal of Animal Ecology 90:2755-2766.

· Lee DE, Bond ML, Hanson C. 2021. When scientists are attacked: Strategies for dissident scientists and whistleblowers. Pages 27-40 in DellaSala DA, editor. Conservation Science and Advocacy for a Planet in Peril. Chennai: Elsevier.
 
· Clavadetscher I, Bond ML, Martin LF, Schiffmann C, Hatt J-M, Clauss M. 2021. Development of an image-based body condition score for giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis and a comparison of zoo-housed and free-ranging individuals. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 9:170-185.

· Bond ML, König B, Ozgul A, Farine DR, Lee DE. 2021. Socially defined subpopulations reveal demographic variation in a giraffe metapopulation. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:920-931.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Farine DR, Ozgul A, König B. 2021. Sociability increases survival of adult female giraffes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 28:20202770.

· Bond ML, König B, Lee DE, Ozgul A, Farine DR. 2021. Proximity to humans affects local social structure in a giraffe metapopulation. Journal of Animal Ecology 90:212-221.

· Hanson CT, Lee DE, Bond ML. 2021. Disentangling post-fire logging and high-severity fire effects for spotted owls. Birds 2:147-157.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Ozgul A, König B. 2019. Fission-fusion dynamics of a megaherbivore are driven by ecological, anthropogenic, temporal, and social factors. Oecologia 191:335-347.

· Bond ML, Lee DE. 2019. Simultaneous multiple-calf allonursing by a wild Masai giraffe. African Journal of Ecology 58:126-128.

· Knüsel MA, Lee DE, König B, Bond ML. 2019. Correlates of home range sizes of giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis. Animal Behaviour 149:143-151.

· Lee DE, Cavener DR, Bond ML. 2018. Seeing spots: quantifying mother-offspring similarity and assessing fitness consequences of coat pattern traits in a wild population of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis). PeerJ 6:e5690.

· Lee DE, Bond ML. 2018. Quantifying the ecological success of a community-based wildlife conservation area in Tanzania. Journal of Mammalogy 99:459-464.

· Hanson CT, Bond ML, Lee DE. 2018. Effects of post-fire logging on California spotted owl occupancy. Nature Conservation 24:93-105.

· DellaSala DD, Hutto RL, Hanson CT, Bond ML, Ingalsbee T, Odion D, Baker WL. 2017. Accommodating mixed-severity fire to restore and maintain ecosystem integrity with a focus on the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. Fire Ecology 13:148-171.

· Bond ML, Bradley CM, Kiffner C, Morrison TA, Lee DE. 2017. A multi-method approach to delineate and validate migratory corridors. Landscape Ecology 32:1705-1721.

· Lee DE, Bond ML, Bolger DT. 2017. Season of birth affects juvenile survival of giraffe. Population Ecology 59:45-54.

· Lee DE, Kissui BM, Kiwango YA, Bond ML. 2016 Migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra indirectly affect juvenile survival of giraffes. Ecology and Evolution 6:8402-8411.

· Bond ML. 2016. The Heat is On: Spotted Owls and Wildfire. Online Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. Elsevier Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

· Bond ML, Strauss MKL, Lee DE. 2016. Soil correlates and mortality of Giraffe Skin Disease in Tanzania. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 52:953-958.

· Bond ML, Bradley C, Lee DE. 2016. Foraging habitat selection by California spotted owls after fire. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1290-1300.

· Lee DE, Bond ML, Kissui BM, Kiwango YA, Bolger DT. 2016. Spatial variation in giraffe demography: a test of 2 paradigms. Journal of Mammalogy 97:1015-1025.

· Lee DE, Bond ML. 2016. Precision, accuracy, and costs of survey methods for giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis. Journal of Mammalogy 97:940-948.

· Lee DE, Bond ML. 2016. The occurrence and prevalence of giraffe skin disease in protected areas of northern Tanzania. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 52:753-755.

· Bond ML. 2015. Mammals and mixed- and high-severity fire. Pages 55-88 in The Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix.  Elsevier Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

· Hutto RL, Bond ML, DellaSala DA 2015. Using bird ecology to learn about the benefits of severe fire. Pages 89-117 in The Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix.  Elsevier Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

· Lee DE, Bond ML. 2015. Previous year’s reproductive state affects Spotted Owl site occupancy and reproduction responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The Condor 117:307-319.

· Lee DE, Bond ML. 2015. Occupancy of California Spotted Owl sites following a large fire in the Sierra Nevada, California. The Condor 117:228-236.

· Hagemeyer NDG, Bond ML. 2014. First observations of termite insectivory in the Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126:611–613.

· DellaSala DA, Bond ML, Hanson CT, Hutto RL, Odion DC. 2014. Complex early seral forests of the Sierra Nevada: What are they and how can they be managed for ecological integrity? Natural Areas Journal 34:310-324.

· Odion, DC, Hanson CT, DellaSala DA, Baker WL, Bond ML. 2014. Effects of fire and commercial thinning on future habitat of the Northern Spotted Owl. Open Journal of Ecology 7:36-51.

· Tingley MW, Wilkerson RL, Bond ML, Howell CA, Siegel RB. 2014. Variation in home-range size of Black-backed Woodpeckers. The Condor 116:325-340.

· DellaSala, DA, Anthony RG, Bond ML, Fernandez ES, Frissell CA, Hanson CT, Spivak R. 2013. Alternative views of a restoration framework for federal forests in the Pacific Northwest. Journal of Forestry 111:420-429.

· Lee DE, Bond ML, Borchert MI, Tanner R. 2013. Influence of fire and salvage logging on site occupancy of spotted owls in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California.  Journal of Wildlife Management  77:1327-1341.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Siegel RB, Tingley MW. 2013. Diet and home-range size of California spotted owls in a burned forest. Western Birds 44:114–126.

· Lee DE, Fennessy JT, Bond ML. 2013. Standing tall for giraffes: Research and conservation of an overlooked African icon. The Wildlife Professional  Summer 2013.

· Lee, DE, Bond ML, Siegel RB. 2012. Dynamics of California Spotted Owl breeding-season site occupancy in burned forests.  The Condor 114:792-802.

· Siegel RB, Bond ML, Wilkerson RL, Barr BC, Gardiner C, Kinsella JM. 2012. Lethal Procyrnea nematode infection in a Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) in California. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 43:214-217.

· Bond ML, Siegel RB, Craig DL, editors 2012. A Conservation Strategy for the Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) in California – Version 1.0  The Institute for Bird Populations and California Partners in Flight. Point Reyes Station, California. 

· Bond ML, Siegel RB, Hutto RL, Saab VA, Shunk SA. 2012. A new forest fire paradigm: The need for high-severity fires.  The Wildlife Professional Winter 2012.

· Lee DE, Bettaso J, Bond ML, Bradley R, Tietz J, Warzybok P. 2011.  Growth, age at maturity, and age-specific survival of the Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris) on Southeast Farallon Island, California. Journal of Herpetology 46:64-71.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Siegel RB. 2010. Winter movements by California spotted owls in a burned landscape.  Western Birds 41:174-180.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Siegel RB, Ward, JP Jr. 2009.  Habitat selection and use by California spotted owls in a post-fire landscape.  Journal of Wildlife Management 73:1116-1124.

· Bond ML, Lee DE, Bradley CM, Hanson CT. 2009.  Influence of pre-fire tree mortality on fire severity in conifer forests of the San Bernardino Mountains, California.  The Open Forest Science Journal 2:41-47.

· Wolff JO, Bond ML. 2008.  Gray-tailed voles prefer interior to edge habitats.  Acta Theriologica Sinica 28:1-6.

· Bond ML, Gutiérrez RJ, Seamans ME. 2004.  Modeling nesting habitat selection of California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) in the central Sierra Nevada using standard forest inventory metrics.  Forest Science 50:773-780.

· Bond ML, Wolff JO, Krackow S. 2003.  Recruitment sex ratios in gray-tailed voles (Microtus canicaudus) in response to density, sex ratio, and season.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 81:1306-1311.

· Bond ML, Gutiérrez RJ, Franklin AB, LaHaye WS, May CA, Seamans ME. 2002.  Short-term effects of wildfires on spotted owl survival, site fidelity, mate fidelity, and reproduction.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 30:1022-1028.

· Hunter JE, Bond ML. 2001. Residual trees: wildlife associations and recommendations.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 29:995-999.

· Bond ML, Wolff JO. 1999.  Does access to females or competition among males limit home-range size of males in a promiscuous rodent?  Journal of Mammalogy 80:1243-1250.