Gabriele Fleury

Gabriela Fleury is a conservation biologist and conflict ecologist engineering bold, tech-integrated solutions to the centuries-old struggle between rural livelihoods and large carnivores. As a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Gabriela collaborates with Cheetah Conservation Botswana and Botswana Predator Conservation to deploy and rigorously evaluate multisensory deterrents—visual, acoustic, and scent-based—designed to prevent livestock predation by cheetahs, leopards, and African wild dogs in the Ghanzi District of Western Botswana.

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Their work combines applied field ecology with behavioral science and human-centered design, informed by years of pan-African field experience. From rescuing orphaned wild dog pups in Namibia to developing non-verbal conservation video games for Mozambican villagers, Gabriela’s projects reflect a deep commitment to interdisciplinary conservation grounded in community partnership. A proud Angolan-American and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Gabriela is also a leading voice for inclusion in STEM. Through platforms like Breaking Bio and #BlackMammalogyWeek, they champion early-career BIPOC researchers and bring visibility to diverse practitioners working at the frontlines of conservation.

 

Gabriela’s research is animated by both personal experience and planetary urgency: as a child with bone cancer, they admired the speed and resilience of wild canids. Now, they are building tools that ensure those animals—and the people who live alongside them—can run toward a future of coexistence.