Prof. Alan McELLIGOTT
Principal Investigator / 主要研究員
Prof. Alan McElligott received his BSc Zoology from University College Cork, PhD Zoology from University College Dublin (Ireland), and carried out postdoctoral research at the University of Zurich. After serving as a faculty member at the University of Nottingham, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Roehampton, he joined City University of Hong Kong in 2020. His research group is focused on understanding how evolution, ecology and domestication affect animal behaviour and welfare. The current main species for his research are cattle, water buffalo, goats, and chickens. He also has a keen interest in higher ethical research standards.
Alan McElligott教授在科克大學獲得了動物學學士學位，其後在都柏林大學獲得了動物學博士學位（愛爾蘭），並在蘇黎世大學進行了博士後研究。 Alan在擔任諾丁漢大學、倫敦瑪麗皇后大學和羅漢普頓大學的教職員之後，他於2020年加入了香港城市大學。 他的研究小組致力於理解演化、生態學和馴化如何影響動物行為和福祉。 他目前的主要研究對像是黃牛、水牛、山羊和雞。同時，Alan也非常關心提高研究的倫理標準。
Prof. Kate FLAY
Principal Investigator / 主要研究員
Prof. Kate Flay is an Assistant Professor in Production Animal Health in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with distinction from Massey University in New Zealand, she entered rural veterinary practice and worked with a range of production livestock and companion animal species. Following this, Kate returned to Massey University in 2015 as a Lecturer in Pastoral Livestock Health. At this time, she also completed her PhD, focused on wastage and productivity of commercial ewes. Kate’s research is focused on productivity, management, behaviour and welfare of large animals. She is also interested in the attitudes of people towards animals, animal management, and welfare.
Kate Flay教授是香港城市大學獸醫臨床科學系生產動物健康助理教授。 她從紐西蘭梅西大學以優異成績獲得獸醫科學學士學位後，進入鄉村獸醫實踐，並與一系列生產性家畜和伴侶動物品種合作。 之後，Kate於2015年回到梅西大學，擔任牧場家畜健康講師。 在此期間，她也完成了她的博士學位，研究的重點是商業母羊的浪費和生產力。 Kate的研究重點是大型動物的生產力、管理、行為和福利。 她也對人們對動物、動物管理和福利的態度感興趣。
Dr George HODGSON
PhD Researcher / 博士研究員
George Hodgson graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2019 with a BSc (Hons) in Zoology, and has worked as a research assistant for the Kalahari Molerat Project in South Africa. Currently working as a PhD research student in City University Hong Kong looking at the social behaviour of feral cattle in Hong Kong, George is also interested in behavioural ecology, maternal effects, sociality and affiliative interactions within groups.
George sucessfully defended their PhD thesis “Knowing friend and foe: investigating the social behaviour of feral cattle (Bos taurus)” on the 22nd July 2025
George Hodgson於2019年從愛丁堡大學畢業，並且獲得動物學榮譽學士學位，更曾在南非的Kalahari Molerat計畫中擔任研究助理。 George目前在香港城市大學擔任博士研究生，研究關於香港野生黃牛的社會行為。 另外，她也對行為生態學、母體效應、社交性以及群體內的親密互動感興趣。
Dr Tania PERROUX
PhD Researcher / 博士研究員
Tania Perroux graduated from a Bachelor of Psychology in Aix-Marseille University in 2019, specialising in cognitive sciences and neuropsychology. She continued her academic career by graduating in 2021 in a Master’s degree of “Human and Animal Behaviour” in University of Rennes 1 (France). She completed her Master’s dissertation on “Contagion of Emotions in Goats” and “Recognition of their Mother’s Voice in Goat Kids”. Currently, she is pursuing Doctoral studies at Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on the health of the unique Hong Kong feral cattle and the perception of animals living in close relation to Humans. She is also interested in cognitive abilities of such animals, with an emphasis on the impact of emotional context on cognitive performances.
Tania sucessfully defended her PhD thesis “The ecology of feral cattle: Phenotypic plasticity, parasite epidemiology, social strategies, and environmental adaptations in a subtropical free-ranging bovid” on the 2nd July 2025.
Tania Perroux於2019年在Aix-Marseille大學獲得心理學學士學位，專攻認知科學和神經心理學。 Tania繼續自己的學術生涯，並且於2021年在Rennes 1大學（法國）獲得“人類與動物行為”碩士學位。 她更完成了關於“山羊的情感傳染”和“山羊幼崽對母親聲音的識別”的碩士論文。 目前，Tania正在香港城市大學賽馬會獸醫醫學與生命科學學院進行博士研究。 她的研究重點是香港獨特的野生黃牛的健康和與人類緊密關係的動物的感知。她也對這些動物的認知能力感興趣，特別專注在情緒背景對認知表現的影響。
Christina Grace Thadeus
PhD Researcher / 博士研究員
Christina graduated with a BSc in Zoology from Calicut University in 2019, followed by an MSc in Applied Zoology from Kannur University in 2021. Before starting her doctoral studies, she gained research experience at the Wildlife Institute of India, contributing to the Pan-India monitoring and assessment of Caracal project. She also worked at LaCONES, CSIR–CCMB, India, where she focused on the non-invasive assessment of thyroid hormone levels in captive tigers across selected Indian zoos.
Currently, Christina is pursuing her PhD at the City University of Hong Kong. Her research explores the behaviour and associated fauna of feral bovids in Hong Kong, including the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cattle (Bos taurus). She is passionate about wildlife ecology, animal behaviour, and conservation.
Christina 在 2019 年於卡利卡特大學取得動物學學士學位，2021 年於坎努爾大學取得應用動物學碩士學位。在攻讀博士學位之前，她曾在印度野生動物研究所從事研究，參與全印度獰貓監測與評估項目；她還曾在印度 LaCONES（CSIR–CCMB） 任職，專注於對印度部分動物園內，圈養老虎的甲狀腺激素水平進行非侵入性評估。
目前，克莉絲汀正在香港城市大學攻讀博士學位。她的研究探討香港野牛科動物，例如水牛(Bubalus bubalis) 和家牛 (Bos taurus) 的行為與有關的動物群。她對野生動物生態學、動物行為學與保育充滿熱忱。
Alumni 校友
- LIE Samantha Shu Yin, Sam– Year 5 Vet Student: Prevalence, diversity, and risk factors for gastrointestinal parasitic infection in Hong Kong feral cattle (2023)
- LI Shui Hei, Charmaine– Internship: Interactions between allogrooming and bystanders in feral cattle (2023)
- WONG Wing Sum, Winnie– Internship: Diversity, seasonality and risk factors of gastro-intestinal parasites in the Hong Kong Feral Cattle (2023)
- LEUNG Suet Ying, Shirley– Executive Assistant & Fieldwork Assistant (2023)
- CHAN Wai Yan– Year 5 Vet Student: Allogrooming and dominance in a feral cattle herd (2022)
- LAM Yeuk Wan, Sharon– Internship: Phenotypic diversity of the Hong Kong Feral Cattle (2022)
- WONG Wang Hin, Jerry– Internship: Phenotypic diversity of the Hong Kong Feral Cattle (2022)
- WONG Wing Sum, Winnie– Internship: Phenotypic diversity of the Hong Kong Feral Cattle (2022)
- LEE Sze Ming, Martin– Internship: Feral Cattle Project Internship (2021)
- PNG Yen– Internship: Feral Cattle Project Intership (2021)
- SHU Mung Kwan, Margarita– Internship: Feral Cattle Project intership (2021)
- WONG Wai Ki, Natalie– Internship: Feral Cattle Project intership (2021)
Hong Kong Feral Cattle Research 