November 2026

Pius Gift Baiwa, a recent new member of the SMSG, is an early-career conservationist from Nigeria with a growing interest in the ecology and conservation of small mammals. Her research interests centre on generating ecological knowledge and translating scientific findings into meaningful conservation action.

Pius Gift Baiwa

In 2024, she was awarded the Re:wild Fonseca Species Conservation Fund, to investigate the populations of two poorly studied forest rodent endemic to Nigeria; the Gotel Mountain soft-furred mouse (Praomys obscurus) which is assessed as Endangered and Fox’s shaggy swamp-rat (Dasymys foxi), assessed as Data Deficient.

Study area Nigeria (credit Pius Gift Baiwa)

The research focused on understanding their population status, distribution and habitat associations. Field activities involved live trapping, morphometric measurements and habitat assessments across the Gotel Mountains of Gashaka-Gumti National Park and Amurum Forest Reserve, Nigeria. The project aimed to address critical knowledge gaps about these species and generate baseline data to inform future studies and conservation actions. After four months of trapping across sites and in both wet and dry season, only two individuals of both species were recorded; P. obscurus (adult male and juvenile) while D. Foxi (two adult males). Although this low capture rate does not establish population size or trend, it highlights the need for more intensive investigation. These findings and experiences from the Fonseca research highlighted concerns beyond ecological knowledge gaps.

Building on these concerns, Pius has recently been awarded an equipment grant from Idea Wild (25 pieces of SFG – NEW 28 ga. Galvanized metal Sherman traps) to support our research efforts and a grant from the Rufford Foundation to support a conservation education initiative project titled “Forest Guardians in Training: Using Participatory Small Mammal Ecology to Promote Conservation Awareness Among Schoolchildren in KBA Fringe Community Schools.”

Gift small mammal trapping

The project will engage schoolchildren in two community schools surrounding the Amurum Forest Reserve, through participatory small mammal activities, conservation education and engagement with teachers and schoolchildren. It aims to introduce children to the ecological importance of small mammals, promote positive attitudes towards their conservation and nurture a new generation of young conservation advocates. This will also generate more data for D. foxi.

Through her work, Pius hopes to contribute to changing the narrative around small mammal conservation in Nigeria and across Africa, ensuring that these ecologically important but frequently neglected species receive the research attention, awareness and conservation recognition they deserve.

Study area Nigeria (credit Pius Gift Baiwa)