Activity timeline

The research project on ecological cascades and Mediterranean ecosystems begins in the Sierra de Guarrizas, Ciudad Real. One of Harmusch's longest-running lines of work.

Study of the distribution and ecology of the Himalayan lynx in collaboration with international researchers.

The project 'Are there any cheetahs left in Morocco?' gets underway, an ambitious effort to detect the last individuals of the Sahara cheetah through camera trapping and surveys in remote areas.

Start of the large carnivore study project in Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal), including lion, leopard and hyena. Harmusch collaborates with Panthera and the Senegalese authorities.

Harmusch presents seven scientific communications at the XI Congress of the Spanish Society for the Conservation and Study of Mammals (Avilés), with work on carnivores, ungulates, Cuvier's gazelle, honey badger, Eurasian lynx and the birdlife of the Sahara.

Trapping, ringing and radio-tracking work begins on the rufous-tailed scrub robin in the vineyards of southern Córdoba, combining ecology and regional development.

Study of the Eurasian otter population in the rivers of Ciudad Real, assessing habitat and conservation status.

'Harmusch: Zoological Expeditions to the Atlantic Sahara' (Rodeno Press) is published, an illustrated compendium of the field campaigns carried out to date in the Sahara desert.

Scientific publication on the strong spatial segregation between wildcats and domestic cats, which would explain the low hybridization in the Iberian Peninsula.

Outreach lecture 'In Valverde's footsteps: Expeditions to Western Sahara', recovering the legacy of naturalist José Antonio Valverde.

Harmusch organizes the first technical conference dedicated to the rufous-tailed scrub robin in Villa del Río (Córdoba), focused on its conservation status and threats.

One of Harmusch's strongest research lines gets underway: the study of the European wildcat in the Iberian Peninsula through intensive camera trapping.

Two key articles are published: on the expedition to the Saharan Barbary sheep in Djebel Ouarkziz and on the evaluation of sampling methods for the threatened Cuvier's gazelle.

Outreach lecture on Harmusch's naturalist expeditions to the Sahara, sharing field experiences.

The search begins for the elusive caracal in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, a feline whose presence is barely known in the region.

First chronicle in the field logbook on expeditions to detect the caracal in the Atlas: methodology, landscapes, and first clues.

Second technical meeting on the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin held in Almendralejo (Badajoz), expanding the network of collaborators.

Publication of the 'Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Cuvier's Gazelle in North Africa 2017–2021', a framework plan for the species' recovery across North Africa.

Publications on the fecal marking behavior of the genet and the trophic ecology of the honey badger in the Sahara.

Harmusch organizes the first national technical meetings on the ecology, management, and conservation of the Eurasian otter at the Tablas de Daimiel (Ciudad Real).

Study campaign on rock-dwelling raptors in southern Morocco, assessing populations on cliffs and desert escarpments.

The Ministry of Environment and Water of the Government of Andalusia awards Harmusch a small contract for the course 'Research Methods in Biodiversity' (PAFA 2019), recognizing its experience in wildlife teaching and research.

Publication on habitat fragmentation as the main threat to the southern populations of Cuvier's gazelle.

'Sahara Erg|Reg' is published, a photographic work that captures the extreme beauty of the Saharan landscapes explored by Harmusch.

Two key publications: identification of priority conservation areas in the Sahara and a study of the dietary specialization of the honey badger, an extreme desert survivor.

Outreach article in Quercus Magazine no. 409 on gazelles, Barbary sheep, and the ungulate species that have already disappeared from the Sahara.

Publication of the report 'First national census of diurnal rock-dwelling raptors in Morocco' (IUCN-Mediterranean / DEF), with data from the first national census of diurnal rock-dwelling raptors in Morocco, in which Harmusch participates.

Third technical meeting held in Montilla (Córdoba), focused on conservation and sustainable territorial development.

Publication on the spatiotemporal ecology of the carnivore community of Morocco’s Middle Atlas, revealing patterns of coexistence.

Defense of the doctoral thesis 'The wolf and the desert: genomics and molecular ecology of the African golden wolf', with the participation of Harmusch members.

Contributions to the SEO/BirdLife volume on the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin in Córdoba and to the Red Book of the Birds of Spain.

Harmusch members take part as assessors in updating the Felis silvestris assessment for the IUCN Red List.

Harmusch organizes the first National Technical Conference on the European Wildcat in Lagunas de Ruidera (Ciudad Real), bringing together the country’s leading experts.

Defense of the thesis 'Research on threatened wildlife in remote environments: the case of Cuvier's gazelle in the Sahara', crystallizing years of fieldwork.

Publications on top-down/bottom-up effects in Saharan communities, feeding ecology of Cuvier's gazelle, and non-invasive methods for the sand cat.

Publication of the popular science article 'The Surprising and Stealthy Wildlife of the Desert' in Mètode, the prestigious science communication magazine.

Participation in the 22nd Congress of the Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group and presentations on gazelle daily activity and human-wildlife interactions.

Expedition back to the Atlantic Sahara after the pandemic break. Collection of camera traps in the Hammada du Draa and Oued Tigsert.

Publications on the status of felines in the northwestern Moroccan Atlas and new advances in wildcat research.

Harmusch presents results on the effectiveness of anti-poaching management and an update on the status of Atlantic Sahara felines.

Field campaign in the Sahara coinciding with exceptional rains that transformed the desert landscape and revealed hidden wildlife.

New survey and camera-trapping campaign in the Atlantic Sahara, continuing the monitoring of desert wildlife.

Defense of the dissertation 'Understanding a challenging biome in a changing world: ecology and conservation of fauna in the Sahara Desert'.

Record year with publications on the desert's hidden fauna, conservation of the Iberian lynx, IUCN assessments of the striped hyena and Cuvier's gazelle, and the trophic niche of Saharan carnivores.

One year later, a new autumn expedition to the Sahara. Installation of camera traps, transects, and surveys in unexplored areas.

Objections against a biomethane plant next to the Caracuel lagoon (Ciudad Real) and against a photovoltaic park in Lopera (Jaén), a key area for the rufous-tailed scrub robin. Objections against the Order regulating the control of game predators in Andalusia. Outreach materials for the cereal harvest and Montagu's harrier campaign.

Three new international publications: trophic niche partitioning of Saharan carnivores (Journal of Arid Environments), activity patterns of ungulates in hyper-arid regions (Journal of Zoology), and seed dispersal by carnivores in the Sahara (SSRN preprint).

Interviews and outreach talks about Saharan fauna on the CienciaJazz channel (YouTube) and the Laika's Shadow of Udûn podcast.

Participation in the conservation campaign for lesser kestrels nesting in Ciudad Real Cathedral, an initiative of the Natural History Society of Ciudad Real.

Objections to the Provisional Outline of Important Issues (EpTI) of the fourth review cycle (2028-2033), calling for water resources for Tablas de Daimiel National Park.