Américo Nhanga Walanse Sanhá
Graduate researcher
I am interested in continuing to work hard for the long-term conservation of non-human primates, particularly the chimpanzee, the Temminck’s red colobus and the king colobus, which are currently listed as Critically Endangered and Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, in order to safeguard their future in Guinea-Bissau.
During three years of professional experience I worked as Darwin Project Officer for the project “Promoting public health in a biodiverse agroforestry landscape in Guinea-Bissau” (Darwin Initiative grant 26-018), led by CCP and the University of Exeter, in partnership with IBAP. I coordinated 8 park rangers and 8 local collaborators to collect biodiversity monitoring across Cantanhez using distance sampling, camera trapping, and chimpanzee faecal sampling. I managed data entry, conducted preliminary analyses, produced quarterly reports and presented research findings at annual monitoring and evaluation meetings. I have participated in multiple sea turtle monitoring projects including in Guinea-Bissau led by IBAP in João Vieira e Polião National Marine Park and Cape Verde led by Turtle Foundation Cabo Verde in Boa Vista island. I am currently undertaking a four-month interdisciplinary training on One Health in Porto Novo, Benin.
About me
“I have gained national and international experience in monitoring and conservation of biodiversity including non-human primates and other medium and large terrestrial mammals in Cantanhez and sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.”
Publications
2024
- Houldcroft, A., Lindgren, F., Sanhá, A., Jaló, M., Regalla de Barros, A., Hockings, K.J. and Bersacola, E., 2024, Joint spatial modeling of cluster size and density for a heavily hunted primate persisting in a heterogeneous landscape. Ecography e07399.
- Houldcroft, A., Lindgren, F., Sanhá, A., Jaló, M., Regalla de Barros, A., Hockings, K., and Bersacola, E., 2024. Data from: Joint spatial modeling of cluster size and density for a heavily hunted primate persisting in a heterogeneous landscape [Dataset]. Dryad.
2023
- Bersacola, E. and Hockings K.J., 2023. Action plan for the conservation of medium- and large-mammals in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau (2024-2034). Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas. Bissau: Guinea-Bissau.
- Bersacola, E., Hockings, K.J., Harrison, M.E., Imron, M.A., Bessa, J., Ramon, M., Regalla de Barros, A., Jaló, M., Sanhá, A., Ruiz-Miranda, C.R. and Ferraz, L.P., 2023. Primate conservation in shared landscapes. In Primates in Anthropogenic Landscapes: Exploring Primate Behavioural Flexibility Across Human Contexts (pp. 161-181). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Ramon, M., McLennan, M.R., Ruiz-Miranda, C.R., Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Bessa, J., Bersacola, E., Sanhá, A., Jaló, M., Barros, A.R.D., Leendertz, F.H. and Hockings, K.J., 2023. Infectious diseases in primates in human-impacted landscapes. In Primates in anthropogenic landscapes: Exploring primate behavioural flexibility across human contexts (pp. 139-160). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
