Originally from New Zealand, Zara completed her BSc in Zoology and Psychology before traveling to Africa and Indonesia to work on wildlife rehabilitation projects. She undertook her MSc in Conservation Biology at the University of Kent, where she looked at sheep farm decline and conflict with large carnivores in Norway. Now a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen, Zara is focused on understanding the ecological impact and social drivers of rising cashmere cashmere production in the south Gobi desert of Mongolia. There is growing concern that global trade in cashmere wool may be driving the decline in several iconic large mammals of Central Asia's high altitude rangelands, including the endangered snow leopard. This inter-disciplinary research will help inform the development of novel management solutions to reconcile wildlife conservation with sustainable livelihood objectives.