In 2013, Ruth Aschim—along with 99.9 per cent of the population—was unaware wild pigs were roaming rural Canada.
In 2013, Ruth Aschim — along with 99.9 per cent of the population — was unaware wild pigs were roaming rural Canada.
Today, the USask doctoral candidate is an expert on the animals, where they thrive and the destruction they can cause.
Her interest in wildlife emerged early in her academic career. Taking a Renewable Resource Management degree in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources (BSc’13), Aschim spent the summers working field jobs in biology, including a stint rescuing the nests of piping plovers.
But landing a wildlife research position at a university is no easy task, she explained.
“Wildlife research is expensive; you’re using GPS collars and aerial surveys and things like that. A lot of people are interested in it, so it was hard to find a program that would take me.”
Continue reading at University of Saskatchewan.
Image via David Stobbe.
