Multispecies ethnographer
Jes Hooper
Multispecies ethnographer, small carnivore conservationist, currently studying civets, coffee, pets and poop.
Selected Publications
03
Kline, C., & Hooper, J. (2025). Saving animals or saving face? Avoiding welfare-washing in animal tourism partnerships. Journal of Ecotourism, 1-16.
Academic Interests
Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. I am a multispecies ethnographer with research interests in morethanhuman relations, wildlife conservation, animal welfare, ethical consumerism and tourism.
I hold a PhD in Anthropology (with focus on human-wildlife relationships) which I was awarded in 2024 from the University of Exeter.
Since 2025, I have been working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate within the Heritage for Global Challenges Research Centre in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York - though I am based in Sussex (yes, it is a long commute!)
My current research focus is human-civet relationships within wildlife trade value chains. I research the lives of civets traded as luxury goods (including meat, coffee producers and pets), as well as those traded for conservation purposes including ex-situ breeding programs. My book (forthcoming with Sydney University Press) is a multispecies ethnography of civet trade and species disappearance processes that explores the tensions between academia, advocacy, sustainability, technology and tourism in an unstable world.
I have published widely on the ethical issues associated with kopi luwak (civet coffee) production and tourism, which has lead to two natural outgrowths of my research: 1) The formation of The Civet Project Foundation, the only non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of civets and all related species, and 2) The establishment of the IUCN SSC Small Carnivore Specialist Group's Civet Working Group.
My research into civet trade inspired the creation of the award winning short film 'Civet Coffee: From Rare to Reckless', and led to Tripadvisor, Air BnB, TUI, Klook, Viator and Booking.com all ceasing the sale of civet coffee tours on their platforms.
In addition to my civet focussed research and advocacy, I have published papers that explore the political dimension of human-wildlife relationships including the portrayal of and treatment of wildlife during public health crises and the issues encountered by researchers who advocate for the interests of non-human animals. My lead-authored article "Nothing More than Anti-Cull Activists: Accusations of Bias and the Politics of Research That Advocates for Non-Human Animals" was awarded the "2023 Best Research Article by Emerging Scholars" by the Australasian Animal Studies Association; and my collaborative research project "the politics of poop" was nominated for the Ig Nobel prize. I am also the co-editor of the book volume Emerging Voices for Animals in Tourism (CABI publishing).
I am heavily invested in interdisciplinary and intersectional research practice and have enjoyed working in international teams spanning the visual arts, humanities and biological sciences. I naturally gravitate towards research that has capacity building and impact potential. I pursue research that brings together interest groups of diverse disciplines and backgrounds during research design and delivery, and that creates measurable outputs that prompt systematic adoption of more ethical multispecies practices (e.g. policy and consumer behavioural change).
Prior to my research career, I worked as a field conservationist, zookeeper, zoo registrar and lecturer. I lead HE modules on wildlife conservation, animal ethics, and qualitative research methods. I continue to scratch the teaching itch by frequently delivering online and in-person seminars and student workshops across the world. I also offer undergraduate and postgraduate student mentorship via The Civet Project Foundation.
Impact
Watch the Film
From Rare to Reckless traces the emerging phenomenon of civet coffee tourism in Vietnam from civet, to bean, to cup.
Get in Touch
I am currently seeking:
1) An academic home for my ethnographic wildlife trade research. If you have a suitable vacancy or would like to work with me on creating one, please contact me.
2) Guest speaker and consultancy opportunities. I'm able to offer insights on the cultural and socio-economic dimensions of human-wildlife interactions and conservation, ethical consumerism, tourism, and designing impactful interdisciplinary research projects.
jes@thecivetproject.com
jes.hooper@york.ac.uk
20+ Publications | 130+ Citations