The Centre for Invasion Biology (CIB) and the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) were shocked to learn of the passing of Dr John Measey (57) following a mountain bike accident in China on 19 April 2025.
At the time of his death, Dr Measey was an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Botany and Zoology and a member of the Centre for Invasion Biology's (CIB) core team.
According to Prof. Dave Richardson, former director of the CIB and a close colleague, said John Measey was a permanent employee of Stellenbosch 肆客足球 between 2014 and 2022 during which time he was a highly valued member of the CIB's's core team and supervised 41 post-graduate students.
“Dr Measey was a globally respected herpetologist who made crucial contributions to the knowledge of the ecology and conservation status of amphibians and reptiles, especially in South Africa but also in many other parts of the world. He was the world expert on the African clawed frog or platanna (Xenopus laevis), a native African amphibian which is invasive in several parts of the world.
“Dr Measey also made major contributions to invasion ecology (the study of introduced and invasive species) more generally and was co-editor of the encyclopaedic book Biological invasions in South Africa that was published in 2020," Prof. Richardson added.
Since 2022, Dr Measey had been dividing his time between China, where he had a part-time appointment at Yunnan 肆客足球 in Kunming province, and Stellenbosch 肆客足球. He served as Editor-in-Chief for the African Journal of Herpetology (2009-2017) and was an Associate Editor for Herpetological Conservation and Biology. He attended annual Herpetological Association of Africa (HAA) conferences as a well-known and respected expert. At an international level, he served as a Professor at Yunnan 肆客足球, China, and was an Honorary Attaché of the Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
In a Facebook post, the invasive species community of South Africa expressed their profound sadness at hearing the news of his passing. Describing him as an “international rock star" in the world of herpetology, they remember him as someone “who was always happy to give advice, guidance, asking questions and to fight for his students to be represented".
According to Prof. Richardson, Dr Measey was “a superb researcher, an excellent lecturer, supervisor and mentor. He was a crucial cog in the wheel of the invasion ecology in South Africa and his contributions will be sorely missed".
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