Dr. Benneth Obitte is a conservation ecologist and National Geographic Explorer whose research focuses on two key areas: examining how anthropogenic disturbances affect the ecology of bats and exploring the human dimensions underlying these disturbances. Dr. Obitte has conducted extensive surveys across Nigeria to answer research questions such as what behavioral motivations drive people to hunt and eat bats, how hunting and landscape changes affect bat populations, and what interventions can effectively mitigate these impacts. Dr. Obitte is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Kingston Lab at Texas Tech University, where he is part of an interdisciplinary team investigating how free-ranging bats in Nigeria mediate the impact of human activities on viral communities, to help better understand zoonotic disease spillovers. Dr. Obitte also works closely with rural communities in Nigeria to co-create strategies that protect small mammal species while safeguarding local livelihoods. He is the co-founder and co-executive director of the Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON), a nonprofit organization working to protect small mammals and their habitats in West Africa.