Tracey-Leigh PRIGGE
I am originally from South Africa where I completed a BSc in Zoology and MSc in Genetics at The University of Pretoria. Whilst growing up in Africa, I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in national parks. Seeing how the wildlife there has been depleted during my lifetime and then observing the huge seizures here in Hong Kong whilst living here for the past 15 years has been heart-breaking. Many of the products seized here originate in Africa; from animals I have enjoyed observing in their natural habitats. Living through the Covid-19 pandemic and observing the impact it has had worldwide has highlighted yet another negative impact of wildlife trade. I have two young children and am fearful about what lies ahead and what kind of world will be left for them. I have become acutely aware of the human pressures on wildlife populations and have developed an interest in pursuing a career to address these issues. I feel that I can make a difference by conducting research in this area.
I am passionate about the field of wildlife forensics and, as Hong Kong is a major hub for wildlife trade, I feel that it is the perfect place to be able to take on the challenges of this field. For my PhD, I will be working on pangolins, the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world. I am particularly interested in using genetic data for species identification, determination of sample origin, and for mapping out trafficking routes. I am also excited to be branching off into the world of stable isotopes; using them to answer different questions related to wildlife trade, which will complement the results obtained from molecular studies.
