David Macdonald's concept was, and remains, to undertake original research on aspects of fundamental biology relevant to solving practical problems of wildlife conservation and environmental management, and thus to underpin policy formation and public debate of the many issues that surround the conservation of wildlife and its habitats.[4] From his early work on red foxes he retains a specialisation in carnivores, with an increasing emphasis on
felids. He has published over 300 papers in refereed international journals, and written or edited more than a dozen books, of which the most recent is Key Topics in Conservation Biology.
He has done much to popularise biology with the general public. He is known for his documentary films and his popular books, for which he has twice won the
Natural World Author of the Year award. His Night of the Fox won the
BAFTA for Best Documentary Film of 1976, Running with the Fox won the Natural History Book of the Year award for 1987, and Meerkats United won the
Wildscreen 1988 award. His films include the popular
BBC seven-part series The Velvet Claw, a natural history of carnivores.[6]
Macdonald, D.W.;
Service, Katrina M., eds. (28 November 2006). Key Topics in Conservation Biology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 307.
ISBN1-4051-2249-8. (Part 2 published 2007)
Macdonald, David W.;
Tattersall, Fran (20 May 2002). The State of Britain's Mammals. People's Trust for Endangered Species.
ISBN0-9540043-2-9.
Macdonald, David W.;
Tattersall, Fran; Barrett, P. (illustrator) (4 April 2001). Britain's Mammals: The Challenge for Conservation. People's Trust for Endangered Species. p. 295.
ISBN0-9540043-1-0.