Anthony R.E. Sinclair

What do you do?

I am a research ecologist looking at what causes changes in populations and ecosystems. This includes food, food supply, predators and predation, and disease. Most of my work has concerned herbivorous African large mammals such as the wildebeest and other antelopes and buffalo. But I also study savanna plant communities and African birds and butterflies. I also work in Australia on conservation of rare marsupials and in the Yukon, Canada, on snowshoe hare cycles and boreal forest ecosystems.

What inspired you to do what you do?

Born in Zambia, I spent the first ten years at Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) on the tropical African coast. Later we went to Blantyre, Nyasaland (now Malawi), in more highland conditions. My parents traveled widely, and as a small boy I became interested in all living things in the tropics. Later we moved to Kenya and I became familiar with its newly formed national parks. As a teenager I determined to devote my life to studying African natural history.

Besides your work, what other interests do you have?

My broader interests concern the conservation of biodiversity and the well-being of poorer peoples, particularly in Africa. I am interested in the history of exploration, particularly in Africa and Antarctica, and collect early travel books on these subjects.

What keeps you interested in your work?

The excitement of discovery is sufficient reward. In addition, the challenge of problem solving and the development of theory provide much incentive.

What goals have you set for yourself?

My ambition is to set up a long-term monitoring system on the ecology of the Serengeti Plain—to be run by dedicated and trained Tanzanians. When that is achieved my job will be done.

How would you suggest getting started in your field?

You must have a vocation to do research. That is something you are born with. With that, follow your interests, use your opportunities to volunteer and gain experience. Always do something different from the usual. This makes you stand out when applying for positions.

What resources can you suggest to the layperson interested in your field?

I suggest that one read the first chapters of these two books I coauthored:

Sinclair A.R.E. Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem. Edited by M. Norton-Griffiths. University of Chicago Press, 1979.

Sinclair A.R.E. Serengeti II: Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem. Edited by Peter Arcese. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

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