Adi Barocas, Ph.D.

Dr. Adi Barocas serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as a Postdoctoral Associate in Recovery Ecology. As a wildlife ecologist, he has broad research interests, but his focus is on animal population ecology and behavior, particularly on questions in these disciplines that are relevant to conservation efforts. To pursue these studies, he is involved in different research systems, but is especially passionate about carnivores.

Adi’s main responsibility is to lead all aspects of research on giant otters in the Peruvian Amazon. He is currently based in Peru and spending a large proportion of his time in the field. The giant otter project is aimed at evaluating emerging risks to this charismatic apex predator from human activities in the region. To achieve this, giant otter populations are studied within Manu National Park, where San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance manages the Cocha Cashu Biological Station, and in unprotected areas that are impacted by deforestation and gold mining. This research represents a collaboration between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the WildCRU unit at the University of Oxford.

Adi earned his master’s degree from Tel Aviv University, Israel and his doctoral degree from University of Wyoming, where he focused on the ecology of Alaska river otters. He has extensively traveled in South America, and many of the experiences from this continent have fueled his excitement for wildlife research and outdoor exploration.