Mammal Ecologist
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Mammal Ecologist |
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My early studies of the records
of otter hunting in Britain led to the discovery of the timing and probable
cause of the otter's decline. At the time, I was a member of the Joint Otter
Group whose deliberations and report in 1977 led to the otter gaining legal
protection. Following on from this I became involved in national surveys of
otters, supervising the first two national surveys of otters in England (in
the 1970s and 1980s) and I helped plan the first survey of otters in Wales.
During
the 1980s, while working as a lecturer in the Adult Education Department at
Exeter University my research interests broadened to include studies of badgers,
red deer, small mammals and spider monkeys. My first book on otters was published
during this period. In the 1990s I completed my second book on otters, supervised
a survey of pine marten in England and Wales and began to undertake consultancy
work on badgers following the introduction of the Protection of Badgers Act.
More recently I have been involved in supervising research on the primate prey
of tigers in Sumatra, studies of otters using DNA fingerprinting techniques
and working with a colleague in the Archaeology Department on a study of beavers.
I have over twenty years experience in adult education, teaching a wide range
of wildlife and conservation courses with a particular emphasis on mammals.
For a period of ten years (to 1997) I taught a third year undergraduate course
on Mammal Biology and Behaviour in the Department of Biological Sciences at
Exeter University. 
As well as professional updating courses (mainly on badgers and otters) I ran a series of study tours to Scotland and California, including courses on 'Marine Mammals in California' and 'Otter Surveying in the Outer Hebrides'. I used to run a regular weekend course on mammals at the Kingcombe centre in Dorset and for the past five years have run a course on mammals at Slapton Ley Field Centre with George Bemment. In 1997 and 2000 I was guest naturalist for two weeks on the Marguerite Explorer for the Western Isles Sailing & Exploration Company.
I have been involved in consultancy on a small scale since 1993 but ceased full time employment in the University in 1998 in order to spend much more of my time working with mammals in the field and have worked full time as a consultant since July 2001. The majority of this work is concerned with development: house building, roads and gas, water and sewage pipelines and usually involves carrying out surveys, advising clients on conservation and legal requirements, planning mitigation and from time to time, applying for licences.
Since leaving the University I have been able to undertake a small number of
projects with a conservation/research orientation. These have included studies
of DNA fingerprinting in otters, methods of recording and preventing otter mortality
on the roads and ways of carrying out dormouse surveys using nest tubes. I have
also written two reports for the LIFE
in UK Rivers Project, one on otter habitat requirements and one on monitoring
otters in SACs.
Chanin and Jefferies 1978. The decline of the otter Lutra lutra in Britain: an analysis of hunting records and discussion of causes. Biol J Linn Soc 10, 305 - 328
Lenton, Chanin and Jefferies 1981. Otter survey of England 1977 - 1979. Nature Conservancy Council, London.
Jefferies, Chanin and Lenton 1983. The decline of the otter Lutra lutra L. in England and a survey of its present status and distribution. Journal of the Otter Trust 1983, 13-17
Chanin 1985. The Natural History of Otters. Croom Helm, Kent.
Chanin 1990. The Eurasian Otter. in the Handbook of British Mammals. ed. Harris and Corbett.
Strachan, Birks, Chanin and Jefferies 1990 Otter Survey of England 1984-87. Nature Conservancy Council.
Chanin 1994. Otters. Whittet Books, London 128pp.
Strachan, Jefferies and Chanin 1996. Pine Marten Survey of England and Wales. Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
Chanin 2001. Otter road casualties: A survey of the A30, A38 and the M5 in Devon and Cornwall. Unpublished report for Mott Macdonald and the Environment Agency
Jansman, Chanin and Dallas 2001. Monitoring otter populations by DNA typing of spraints. IUCN Otter Specialists Group Bulletin. 18; 12-19
Conroy and Chanin 2002. The distribution and status of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) - a review. Proceedings of the Otter Toxicology Conference, Skye 2000. Ed. Conroy, Gutleb and Yoxon.
Chanin 2003. LIFE UK Rivers Project: Monitoring Otters in SAC Rivers. Unpublished Report to English Nature.
Chanin 2003. Ecology of the European otter Lutra lutra. Conserving Natura 2000 Rivers Ecology Series No 10. Peterborough, English Nature. Available at: http://www.english-nature.org.uk/lifeinukrivers/publications/publications.html
Dallas, J., Coxon, K.E., Sykes, T., Chanin, P.R.F. et al 2003. Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra. Molecular Ecology 12, 275-282
Chanin, P. and Woods, M. 2003.
Surveying dormice using nest tubes: results and experiences from the South
West Dormouse Project. English Nature Research Report No 524. Peterborough:
English Nature.