Expertise:
- Ecosystem processes in African savannas, Conservation strategies
Support conservation and research efforts at the Lion Research Center
Craig Packer was born in Texas and received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1972. While still at Stanford, Packer went to Tanzania to study baboons with Jane Goodall at the Gombe Stream Research Centre. He then went to the University of Sussex to complete his Ph.D. research on the Gombe baboons. After a study of Japanese macaques in Hakusan National Park, Packer returned to Tanzania in 1978 to head the Serengeti lion project. He subsequently held a post-doctoral position at the University of Chicago and joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1983, returning to the Serengeti for several months each year. Packer received a J.S. Guggenheim Fellowship in 1990, became a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 1997, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. He is the author of “Into Africa,” which won the 1995 John Burroughs medal, and more than 100 scientific articles, most of which are about lions. His research has been supported primarily by grants from the National Science Foundation.
Graduate Faculty Memberships
Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Book
Packer, C. 1994. Into Africa. University of Chicago Press.
Selected Publications
2013 Packer, C., A. Loveridge, S. Canney, T. Caro, S.T. Garnett, M. Pfeifer, K.K. Zander, A. Swanson, D. MacNulty, G. Balme, H. Bauer, C.M. Begg, K.S. Begg, S. Bhalla, C. Bissett, T. Bodasing, H. Brink, A. Burger, A.C. Burton, B. Clegg, S. Dell, A. Delsink, T. Dickerson, S.M. Dloniak, D. Druce, L. Frank, P. Funston, N. Gichohi, R. Groom, C. Hanekom, B. Heath, L. Hunter, H.H. DeIongh, C.J. Joubert, S.M. Kasiki, B. Kissui, W. Knocker, B. Leathem, P.A. Lindsey, S.D. Maclennan, J.W. McNutt, S.M. Miller, S. Naylor, P. Nel, C. Ng’weno, K. Nicholls, J.O. Ogutu, E. Okot-Omoya, B.D. Patterson, A. Plumptre, J. Salerno, K. Skinner, R. Slotow,E.A. Sogbohossou, K.J. Stratford, C. Winterbach, H. Winterbach, & S. Polasky. Conserving large carnivores: Dollars and fence. Ecology Letters. doi: 10.1111/ele.12091
2012 MacNulty, D.R., D.W. Smith, L.D. Mech, J.A. Vucetich & C. Packer. Nonlinear effects of group size on the success of wolves hunting elk. Behav. Ecol. 23, 75-82.
2012 MacCormick, H.A., D.R. MacNulty, A. Bailey, A.L. Bosacker, D.A. Collins, & C. Packer.The effect of age, sex and rank on the risk of injury in olive baboons. Behav. Ecol. doi:10.1093/beheco/ars021
2011 Packer, C., A. Swanson, D. Ikanda, H. Kushnir. Fear of darkness, the full moon and the lunar ecology of African lions. PLoS One. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022285
2011 Packer, C., H. Brink, B.M. Kissui, H. Maliti, H. Kushnir & T. Caro. The effects of trophy hunting on lion and leopard populations in Tanzania. Cons. Biol. 25, 142-153.
2009 VanderWaal, K, A. Mosser & C. Packer. Optimal group size, dispersal decisions and post-dispersal relationships in female African lions. Animal Behaviour 77, 949–954.
2009 Mosser, A. & C. Packer. Group territoriality and the benefits of sociality in the African lion, Panthera leo. Animal Behaviour 78, 359-370.
2009 Mosser, A., J. Fryxell, L. Eberly & C. Packer. Serengeti real estate: density versus fitness-based indicators of lion habitat quality. Ecology Letters 12, 1050-1060.
2009 MacNulty, D.R., D.W. Smith, J.A. Vucetich, L D. Mech,D.R. Stahler & C. Packer Predatory senescence in ageing wolves. Ecology Letters12, 1–10.
2009 Packer, C., Kosmala, M., Cooley, H.S., Brink, H., Pintea, L., Garshelis, D., Purchase, G., Strauss, M., Swanson, A., Balme, G., Hunter, L., & K. Nowell. Sport hunting, predator control and conservation of large carnivores. PLoS ONE 4(6): e5941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005941, 2009.
2009 Mosser, A. & C. Packer. Group territoriality and the benefits of sociality in the African lion, Panthera leo. Animal Behaviour. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.04.024, 2009.
2008 Munson,L., K.A. Terio, R. Kock, T. Mlengeya, M.E. Roelke, E. Dubovi, B. Summers, A.R.E. Sinclair & C. Packer. Climate extremes and co-infections determine mortality during epidemics in African lions. PLoS-One 3, e2545.
2008 Welburn, S., K. Picozzi, P. Coleman &C. Packer. Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions. PLoS-Neglected Tropical Diseases 2(12): e347. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000347, 2008.
2008 Munson, L., K.A. Terio, R. Kock, T. Mlengeya, M.E. Roelke, E. Dubovi, B. Summers, A.R.E.Sinclair & C. Packer. Climate extremes and co-infections determine mortality during epidemics in African lions. PLoS-One 3, e2545, 2008.
2008 Ikanda, D. & C. Packer. Ritual vs. retaliatory killing of African lions in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Endangered Species Research 6, 67-74, 2008.
2007 Fryxell, J., A. Mosser, A.R.E. Sinclair & C. Packer. Group formation stabilizes predator-prey dynamics. Nature 449, 1041-1044, 2007.