Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences
City University of Hong Kong
Introduction
The Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/) is building a team of internationally renowned researchers who are actively engaged in advancing animal health and welfare. The Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/ph/) within the College was established in July 2017. Its mission includes the establishment of state-of-the-art research in emerging problems in public health and animal health related issues, in meeting societal needs locally, regionally and internationally through partnership and strengthening links with industry, business, commerce and other institutions. We also aim to make a significant contribution to Hong Kong as a regional hub for One Health and Animal Welfare education, through the provision of high-quality education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels
Hong Kong is typically known for its vibrant cityscape; however, approximately 75% of its land area consists of country parks, and they are home to a population of approximately 1,200 feral cattle. The cattle are considered part of the cultural heritage of Hong Kong and their welfare attracts considerable public interest. Most are tagged and for those that aren’t, they are easily individually recognizable. A key aspect of positive animal welfare is related to providing animals with their own decision-making opportunities. Thus, the feral cattle of Hong Kong represent a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the behavioural, ecological and welfare needs of cattle, when they are not subject to the routine husbandry procedures that are found on farms.
Attributes
The student for this project should be motivated, organized and driven. The research will include field data collection and thus some prior practical experience is essential. They will also need very good communication skills to develop and maintain excellent relations with external partners. This project will best suit a student with an animal sciences, animal behaviour, animal welfare, behavioural ecology, comparative psychology, veterinary science or zoology background, although those from other relevant disciplines with strong prior performance will be considered.
Requirements
It is expected that the student will meet City University of Hong Kong standard requirements to be considered for a PhD studentship (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/pg/). Applicants must have a Bachelors degree, and a relevant Masters degree is also preferred. The researcher will be based at City University of Hong Kong. International students are required to provide evidence of their proficiency in English language skills. Funding is available for four years.
Supervision
The project will be supervised by Dr. Alan McElligott, Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare (@amcell; https://www.cityu.edu.hk/ph/staff/dr-alan-mcelligott) and co-supervised by Dr. Kate Flay, Assistant Professor (@kate_flay; https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/staff/dr-kate-flay).
Contact
Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter outlining their interests and some potential research ideas, as well as a short, 2-page CV, via email to Dr. McElligott (alan.mcelligott@cityu.edu.hk) on or before June 1st, 2021. Start Date: Negotiable, but September or October 2021 preferred.
References
Barbato et al. (2020) A genetically unique Chinese cattle population shows evidence of common ancestry with wild species when analysed with a reduced ascertainment bias SNP panel. PLoS ONE 15, e0231162.
Lawrence et al. (2019) What Is so positive about Positive Animal Welfare? A critical review of the literature. Animals 9, 783.
Marino and Allen (2017) The Psychology of Cows. Animal Behavior and Cognition 4, 474-498.
Massei et al. (2015) Immunocontraception for Managing Feral Cattle in Hong Kong. PLoS ONE 10, e0121598.
Padilla de la Torre and McElligott (2017) Vocal Communication and the Importance of Mother-Offspring Relations in Cattle. Animal Behavior and Cognition 4, 522-525.
Rørvang
et al. (2018) Prepartum Maternal Behavior of Domesticated Cattle: A
Comparison with Managed, Feral, and Wild Ungulates. Frontiers in
Veterinary Science 5, 45.