Team

I earned my degree in biology in 1987 and my doctorate from Tartu Ülikool in 2006. My research has covered several mammal species and fields, including the ecology of wild boar, moose and carnivores, parasite fauna, and, more recently, road ecology. I have worked and studied in Finland and Norway. In Norway, I learned and practised procedures for capturing and immobilising large carnivores. I have also led and participated in numerous projects, including a capercaillie research project in which we demonstrated the importance of wild boar as a natural predator of capercaillie.

I prefer to spend my free time hiking in nature with my camera.

I am following in the footsteps of my uncle, a biologist, and my father, a dendrologist, who fostered my interest in nature and mammals. I graduated in biology from Tartu Ülikool in 2004 and also completed my master’s and doctoral degrees there. My research has also taken me to Portugal, England and Denmark for periods of varying length. My work has always been connected to large carnivores to some extent, primarily wolves, which provide a useful model for studying the ecology and genetics of wild species.

I am a zoologist by training – I completed my bachelor’s degree in 2003, defended my master’s degree in 2006 and my doctoral degree in 2011 at Tartu Ülikool. My research career has followed the tracks of various carnivores: I have studied lynx, wolves, badgers and raccoon dogs, but bears have become my main focus. Alongside my research, I run a business specialising in nature surveys and monitoring, and I also keep bees. In my free time, I can often be found wandering in the forest – where I pursue my interest in birds as well as mammals – or challenging myself in an endurance event.

My knowledge of nature and wildlife has not developed through an academic path, but through extensive practical experience. I grew up close to nature and have spent much of my life in the forest, observing the behaviour, movements and habitats of animals, particularly large carnivores. I follow carnivore trails far more often than the average person who spends time in nature, and my knowledge is based on direct experience and systematic observation.

Nature photography and guiding people in nature are important parts of my work and have also led me to active forest conservation. I have participated in and initiated several conservation processes and secured important court victories at the local-government level, helping to protect valuable habitats and wildlife.

I founded MTÜ Eesti Suurkiskjad. The organisation focuses primarily on raising awareness of large carnivores, public communication, and representing and defending the interests of carnivores in court proceedings. My aim is to establish a balance between people and wildlife, based on first-hand knowledge of nature, facts and extensive field experience.

At MTÜ Eesti Metsloomauuringud, I contribute to wildlife research, documentation and conservation, guided by the principle that effective nature conservation begins with understanding nature on the ground, in the forest.

I have been close to nature and animals throughout my life. I grew up playing by the river and in the forest every day. While still at school, I realised that the only thing I truly wanted to do was spend as much time in nature as possible and continue learning about it. Becoming a scientist therefore became my dream and my only firm goal at an early age. I recently completed my master’s degree and now study wolf population genetics; wolves are also the animals I care about most. Alongside my favourites, canids and other mammals, I have a particular interest in insects and many other invertebrates, to which I devote some of my free time. I spend the rest of it pursuing many spontaneous ideas, driven by my wish to acquire a wide range of knowledge and skills.

I announced that I would become a wolf researcher when I was about three years old, and I am now a doctoral student at Tartu Ülikool, where I study wolf–dog hybridisation. I have also contributed to various monitoring projects focused on carnivore diets or ungulate abundance. For many years, I have volunteered with various organisations concerned with animals and nature and have received recognition for this work, including the Noore Looduskaitsja märk (Young Conservationist Badge) in 2019. In my free time, whenever possible, I travel to explore different parts of the world or hike around Estonia while playing my guitar.