ZooMap - Zoonosis and cultural evolution

The research project ZooMap – Zoonosis and Cultural Evolution: Mapping the Past, Present and Future of Wildlife Consumption and Trade in Mongolia and the Philippines examines how human interactions with wildlife shape the risk of zoonotic diseases and pandemics. Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, the project team at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) works in partnership with colleagues in Mongolia and the Philippines. The project focuses on the consumption of the tarbagan marmot (Marmota sibirica) in Mongolia and the trade in the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis). Both species are endangered and serve as hosts for pathogens. ZooMap seeks to map cultural practices and, in collaboration with local communities, develop strategies to mitigate zoonotic risks. To this end, the project draws on methods from both the social and natural sciences to design comprehensive, culturally responsive prevention plans.

Current publications related to the project are available via Cambridge University Press.