Conservation & Science Staff Bios

Education

• M.S. – Behavioral ecology of bats, University of Regina
• B.S. – Zoology Specialist, University of Toronto

Areas of Expertise

• Wildlife ecology
• Behavioral ecology
• Bat biology
• Urban wildlife conflicts

About Julia Kilgour:

Julia’s passion for wildlife was first sparked when she travelled to the Canadian Arctic as an undergraduate to study the population dynamics of lemmings. Soon afterward, she embarked on a semester-long study-abroad program focusing on wildlife biology and conservation in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. While conducting behavioral studies on wild three-spined sticklebacks around Toronto, Julia gained interest in behavioral ecology and wildlife-research methodologies.

Through studies on big brown bat behaviour during her master’s, Julia gained insight into the ecology of these flying mammals as well as their social behavior and life histories. This prompted her to explore topics in bats ranging from habitat choices and roosting ecology to personality and behavioral syndromes. Julia’s interest in urban-wildlife conflicts began while understanding the relationship between urban-dwelling bats and the neighborhoods in which they reside.

Julia first began at Lincoln Park Zoo as an intern at the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. Now at the Urban Wildlife Institute, Julia is working on a project in conjunction with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York to measure the influence of Trap-Neuter-Return programs on free-roaming cats. She is also working with colleagues to understand the effect of relocation on movement patterns in woodchucks.