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Rhodes>Zoology and Entomology>People>Academic Staff>Nokubonga Mgqatsa

Nokubonga Mgqatsa

Deputy Head of Department

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

PhD Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (2017)

Noks

Phone: + 27 (0) 46 603 7708
Email: n.mgqatsa@ru.ac.za
Office: F14, First floor, Life Sciences Building

Teaching interests

  • Vertebrate diversity
  • Biogeography
  • Behavioural ecology
  • Conservation biology
  • Ecology of African mammals

Research interests

  • Large herbivore ecology
  • Plant-animal interactions
  • Ecological cascading effects

Students

Masters
  • Romesa Muhammad (Rhodes University) – Assessing herbivore behavioural responses to predator presence in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Ongoing). 
  • Georgia Main (Rhodes University) – Lion and spotted hyena coexistence in the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. (Ongoing). 
  • Naeser Tara (Rhodes University) – Vocalization of rock hyrax at the Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia. (Ongoing). 
  • Altenkirk Matthew (Rhodes University) – Monitoring and evaluating population performance of the south-central black rhinoceros in the Kruger National Park. (Ongoing).
  • Klein Snakenborg Stacey (Rhodes University) – The spatial and temporal variation of leopard diet in the Baviaanskloof, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Submitted).
  • Daniel Singer (Univesität für Bodenkultur Wien) – Assessing the influence of contraceptives on reproductive parameters of elephants in private game reserves in South Africa. MSc 2026.  
  • Mankuntsu Elihle (Rhodes University) – Spatial and temporal variation of baboons in the Baviaanskloof, Eastern Cape, South Africa. MSc 2025.
  • Fowler Natalie (Rhodes University) – The influence of immuno-contraception on the ecology of African savanna elephants in a small game reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. MSc 2023.
  • Trafford Bronwyn (Rhodes University) – Implications of changing land use and introducing extralimital giraffe on vegetation in the subtropical thicket, South Africa. MSc 2023.
  • Bernard Kelly (Rhodes University) – Puma (Puma concolor) diet and habitat use in South-west New Mexico. MSc 2022.  
  • Roberts Peter Jean (Rhodes University) – Assessing the density and distribution of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. MSc 2022.  
  • Truter Anja (Rhodes University) – The reproductive performance, demography, and spatial ecology of an extralimital white rhino population. MSc 2021. 
  • Kraai Unathi (University of KwaZulu-Natal) – Utilisation of woody plants by the Cape porcupine in mesic savannas. MSc 2021.   
Doctoral
  • Mankuntsu Elihle (Rhodes University) – Carnivore conservation and human-wildlife co-existence in the Bushmans River Biodiversity Corridor, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Ongoing).
  • Rono Betty (Rhodes University) – Trends, values, and demands for nature’s contribution to people (NCP) in forested ecosystems: Mau forest in Kenya. (Ongoing).
  • Beukes Maya (Rhodes University) – Drivers of mammal communities across multi-dimensional landscape gradients in the semi-arid Baviaanskloof catchment, South Africa. PhD. 2026. 
  • Comley Jess (Rhodes University) – Carnivore intra-guild competition in Selati Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. PhD, 2020. 

Publications

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4636-5262

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=1NuFhMQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

 

 

 

Last Modified: Sun, 29 Mar 2026 20:04:25 SAST