Wildlife Forensics

Wildlife forensics applies science and forensics to tackle legal cases involving wildlife, especially those regarding poaching, trafficking animals, or the illegal marketing or selling of animal parts. A wildlife forensics scientist utilizes chemical techniques to analyze physical evidence collected by wildlife inspectors in order to link items and suspects to wildlife crime — even to determine the cause of death. They may also be called into court to provide expert testimony.

While conventional DNA analysis is used in wildlife crime to identify perpetrators using DNA profiling, wildlife forensics focuses on identifying the affected specimen. Knowledge of the origin of the specimen and its identity can allow law enforcement to increase restrictive measures on hunting, trading, or other wildlife activity in those areas and “audit supply chains” of those industries.

When investigating illegal wildlife activities, forensic personnel use evidence to answer 5 aspects regarding the animal: what species the animal is, the geographic origin of the animal, whether it was a domestic or wild animal, the animal’s age, and a possible match between the specimen and another tracked individual. These matches may also occur against an entire database of samples, with many coming from regular donations from zoos. When forensics analysis is performed on parts of the animal — for instance, precious materials like ivory that comprise elephant tusks — the identification of the origin of the animal may allow investigators to determine the geographic location of criminal networks and large-scale poaching (when it comes to marine life, even identifying what part of the ocean the species is from). This has allowed investigators to close several cases relating to wildlife crime, as wildlife forensics “have proven to be fast, accurate and reliable criminal investigation processes with comprehensive coverage and easy accessibility.”

It is also important to note that DNA analysis only sometimes takes center stage in forensics. Specialists often use comparative morphology, the study of patterns within the body structures of different animals. This is the key to establishing taxonomical and evolutionary relationships and helps scientists deduce the species of a specimen they are examining. Radiocarbon dating is also used to identify when the specimen was alive, so as to distinguish “antique from contemporary wildlife products.” At the same time, chemical profiling allows for a closer look at the molecular composition of the evidence. Finally, forensics is also applied to more recognizable physical evidence, like animal tracks.

Beyond just its direct implications in crime, why is wildlife forensics a valuable tool for anyone dealing with animals? The methods involved in properly handling samples, updating records and ensuring their accuracy, and presenting these findings in a “systematic and professional way” can be extremely beneficial to veterinarians. Law enforcement gets involved when an animal is suspected to be the victim of abuse or neglect, and often times these pets are brought to veterinary practices to gain a better understanding of the situation. In such cases, it is essential that veterinarians uphold the same standards of evidence collection and documentation. It is also likely that the veterinarian “may find him/herself in court giving evidence as a witness of fact, a professional witness.”

Forensic personnel also work with people who live in close proximity to animals to determine which animals might come into conflict with them the most, or the animals humans are most likely to capture and kill out of defense.

Several projects have recently been launched to record every individual of a threatened population into national DNA registers, such as the TigerBase in Southeast Asia, which may help “authenticate captive breeding claims” and provide more adequate protection for the endangered. While the USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) Forensic Laboratory only started operations in the 80s, wildlife forensics has gained much traction in recent years, with the UN as well as several international organizations such as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) outlining regulations on animal activity and guidelines for specific procedures in the field of animal forensics.

Wildlife forensics is only one part of the equation when dealing with the multifaceted conservation of animal species. Effective wildlife conservation would require a collective effort with the support of “national policymakers, local stakeholders and implementation agencies” in addition to scientists, investigators, and other experts. Until then, forensics continues to play its part in defending our ecosystem.

Sources:

https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/wildlife-forensics

https://cites.org/eng/prog/imp/Wildlife_forensics