• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study here
    • Meet us
    • Open days
    • Virtual tours
    • Upcoming events
    • Applicant days
    • Meet us in your country
    • Chat to our students
    • Ask us a question
    • Order a prospectus
    • Our campuses
    • Our four campuses
    • Accommodation options
    • Our halls
    • Helping you find a home
    • What you can study
    • Find a course
    • Full A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Our academic departments
    • How to study with us
    • Undergraduate application process
    • Postgraduate application process
    • International student application process
    • Apprenticeships
    • Applying through Clearing
    • Transfer from another university
    • Fees and financial support
    • Undergraduate finance
    • Postgraduate finance
    • Our funding and support options
    • Supporting you
    • Your wellbeing
    • Student support and guidance tutors
    • Study skills support
    • Careers and employability
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Featured research and knowledge exchange projects
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Book on beach
Research and knowledge exchange
  • Postgraduate research degrees
  • Research features
  • Research organisation
  • Research environment
  • Postgraduate research degrees
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD-films
    • Our postgraduate research disciplines
    • Research Masters
    • Funding and studentships
    • Support and training
    • Postgraduate open evening
    • Apply for a PhD
    • Contact us
  • Research students
    • Research students
    • Alex Fitch
    • Alexander Kolliari-Turner
    • Arben Lubach
    • Ash Willmott
    • Bahar Khayamian Esfahani
    • Caroline Hamilton
    • Catherine Payne
    • Charlotte Coombs
    • Claudia Treacher
    • Conor Sheehan
    • Conor Strong
    • Daniel Nsikane
    • David Felix
    • Dicle Kortantamer
    • Emelia Akashah Patah Akhir
    • Filippo Gerbino
    • Gelu Varghese
    • Gregor Eichhorn
    • Hannah Ray
    • Hanno Martens
    • Hiba Almasri
    • Indra Kusumawardhana
    • Isa Kwabe
    • Jane Frances Dunlop
    • Jennifer Holland
    • Jocelyn Bailey
    • Josie Maitland
    • Julian D Riano
    • Katie McCallum
    • Kimberley Chandler
    • Lilián Sánchez-Moreno
    • Lujain Yousif Mirza
    • Majed Al-Jefri
    • Mana Al Mashreef
    • Maria Gebbels
    • Mariana Lima
    • Marta Falcinelli
    • Mary Edward
    • Matyas Varga
    • Merryn Haines-Gadd
    • Mohammed Ghazi Al-Obeidallah
    • Myrsini Samaroudi
    • Nagham Al-Qaysi
    • Niall Walkden
    • Oliver Gibson
    • Samuel Penny
    • Shafq Al-Azzawi
    • Shai Kassirer
    • Tom Raven
    • Wulan Koagouw
    • Yahya Ibraheem
    • Aaron Greenhouse-Tucknott
    • Antonia Karanikolou
    • Ben Duncan
    • Carl James
    • Emily Watkins
    • Gareth Turner
    • Jake Butterworth
    • James Wrightson
    • Jet Van Zalen
    • Kirsty Waldock
    • Marina Garcia Hortal
    • Rebecca Relf
    • Rosemary Twomey
  • Samuel Penny

Samuel Penny

Sam graduated with a First Class (Hons) BSc in Biological Science from the University of Bristol in 2011. His subsequent master’s degree in ecology and conservation was jointly supervised by University of Bristol and Bristol Zoological Society. This research focused on how amphibian populations are affected by anthropogenic disturbance, and was conducted in conjunction with an EAZA-funded conservation project to survey Madagascar’s herpetofauna and identify actions to protect it. Following this, Sam worked as a research assistant for the University of Neuchâtel, studying context-specific vocal communication in white-handed gibbons in Thailand, before joining the University of Brighton’s Rhino Conservation project.

Email address: s.penny@brighton.ac.uk

Qualification: PhD

Timeframe: Oct 2015 - present

Sam-Penny

Thesis title

The impact of dehorning on the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and the evaluation of novel conservation tactics to reduce poaching.

My research

The greatest threat to rhinoceroses is the poaching they face for their horns. From January 2006 to April 2016, South Africa lost at least 5,460 southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to poaching. In response to this crisis more and more wildlife managers are humanely removing the horns of their rhino in a process known as dehorning. Yet few studies have investigated whether dehorning has an impact on the white rhinoceros. My study seeks to address this knowledge gap by determining whether white rhino exhibit an observable physiological or behavioural response to dehorning, specifically whether it induces changes in stress and distress, sociality or non-social horn function. It is hoped that evidence-based biological data generated by this project will help policy makers assess and validate the procedure, as well as providing practical instruction for wildlife managers.

Additionally, I conduct research into novel conservation techniques that aim to reduce poaching risk to rhinoceros. This research seeks to apply theory from human-wildlife conflict mitigation to a new a type of conservation context. Deterrent experiments, focusing on olfactory, acoustic and UAV disturbance techniques are evaluated for their ability to manipulate rhinoceros movement from areas of high poaching risk to areas with a lower poaching threat. This research utilises the help of groups of citizen scientists who assist in data collection in the field throughout the year, co-ordinated by the Earthwatch Institute.

Supervisors

Dr Angelo Pernetta

Dr Rachel White

Dr Dawn Scott

Back to top
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn icon

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Order a prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • COVID-19
  • The Student Contract

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents