Genetics study focuses on elusive black-footed cat

‘I chose to do my PhD through UKZN because the University gears its research goals towards addressing South African problems on the South African landscape,’ said PhD Genetics graduate, Dr Vimbai Siziba.

Supervised by Professor Sandi Willows-Munro, Siziba’s thesis was titled: Carnivore Ecology and Diet Assessment using DNA-based Approaches: The Elusive Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) as a Case Study.

Using DNA-based methods, Siziba’s research studied the ecology of the black-footed cat using scat samples collected in the wild. ‘The DNA based methods provided population-level information such as estimates of the number of individuals in a population, the sex ratios and relatedness of the individual cats,’ she said. ‘Additionally, the DNA-based methods also provided information on the various species that make up the dietary profile of black-footed cats as well as the identification of the parasitic load possibly affecting the health of the population.’

Siziba’s interest in this particular area of research was sparked by the realisation that South Africa is the third most diverse country in the world but still lags far behind in terms of documenting the DNA sequences of the available flora and fauna.

‘I realised that at the time I started my research, only one peer-reviewed paper was available that used DNA to determine diet of a carnivore on the African continent as a whole,’ she said. ‘There were no peer-reviewed published studies for South African carnivores, yet there were multiple such studies worldwide across various species. The possibility of bridging those knowledge gaps and generating DNA data that can be later used by other African scientists was a huge driving force.’

Her research is significant as it provides a means to study wild animals in a non-invasive manner. ‘This means that we can address ecological questions about wild animals such as their diet without having to capture them physically or follow them around in the wild and potentially disrupt their natural habitats,’ Siziba explained.

‘This is particularly important for species that are rare, endangered, vulnerable or those with declining population numbers. In the case of carnivores, this information is crucial for developing conservation strategies because carnivores sit at the top of food chains and their prey choices have a cascading effect on other species further down in that food chain.’

She provided encouragement to undergraduate science students: ‘If you’re not sure where to go career wise, pick a topic in any subject matter that you enjoy and you can potentially make a research career out of that.’

Siziba – a mother of two boys who loves cooking and can easily lose herself in a good book – hopes to pursue a career in research and academics.

She thanked her supervisor for all her help: ‘At no point did she ever tire no matter how tired I got! For that I will always be grateful.’

‘I am extremely proud of Vimbai!’ said Willows-Munro. ‘She completed her PhD journey with a grace and determination I have seen in few other students.’