Verified Peer-Reviewed Papers (Profiled)
3
Wildlife systems lab
Studying wildlife systems to protect life at every scale.
Dr Piet Malepa combines zoo observation, field data, and community science to turn biodiversity research into practical conservation action across habitats, species behavior, and ecosystem health.
Documented Outputs Linked
6
Primary Threatened Species Focus
1
Current Study Highlight
Amphibian signals within a wider biodiversity program
This active study tracks calling activity, breeding timing, and water quality while feeding a broader research program on habitat resilience and zoo ecosystem dynamics.
- Amphibian monitoring linked to wider field indicators
- Findings interpreted with cross-species observations
- Applied to restoration planning and habitat management
Selected Publications and Projects
Research shaped for conservation practice
Hatching Plasticity in Captive-Bred Pickersgill's Reed Frog
Zoo Biology (2025): disturbance can trigger earlier hatching, but disturbed clutches showed lower 30-day survival, supporting low-disturbance handling protocols.
Read on PubMed ->Developmental Life Stages in Ex-Situ Pickersgill's Reed Frog
Zoo Biology (2022): documents seven developmental stages under captive care and provides practical timing data for conservation breeding programs.
Read on PubMed ->First Five Years of the Biodiversity Management Plan
African Biodiversity and Conservation (2025): reports multi-stakeholder progress and measurable outcomes for Pickersgill's reed frog conservation planning.
Open journal article ->Partner on biodiversity and wildlife research
Open to collaborative studies, student supervision, and conservation strategy with zoo teams, universities, and public-sector partners.