Wildlife Forensics

Wildlife Forensics: A New Field of Criminal Investigation

Wildlife forensics is a new area of the criminal investigation that aims to link evidence from crime scenes involving animals with specific suspects and victims. This is achieved through the use of scientific procedures to examine, identify and compare the evidence.

Fighting Against Poaching and Other Crimes Against Wildlife

Poaching, the illegal killing of animals that are protected under law, is a grave threat to wildlife and one of the most serious crimes investigated by wildlife forensic scientists. This is because poaching not only threatens specific animal populations but can also have serious ecological consequences. For example, poaching can lead to the over-harvesting of a particular species, which can have ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.

In addition to poaching, other crimes against wildlife are of great concern to scientists and conservationists. These include the illegal buying and selling of protected animals, as well as the buying and selling of products made from them. These activities can contribute to the decline of certain species and can also have adverse effects on the environment. Therefore, raising awareness of these issues and enforcing laws protecting wildlife from such crimes is essential.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was established in 1963 as an international organization to monitor the trade of wild animals and plants. Since then, it has grown to encompass 167 member countries as of 2004, making it one of the most far-reaching organizations of its kind in existence today.

In the United States, the Endangered Species Act, which was authorized in 1973, serves as a critical piece of legislation in protecting endangered and threatened species. Under this act, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife has the authority to prosecute violations against protected species, ensuring that they can thrive and flourish in their natural habitats.

India has several laws to protect wildlife, including the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, and the Biodiversity Act of 2002. These laws prohibit the hunting, killing, or capturing of endangered species and the trade in their parts and products. The regulations also establish protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, where hunting and other activities are strictly regulated. Violations of these laws can result in fines, imprisonment, or both. In recent years, India has also established programs to conserve and protect specific species, such as Project Tiger, which aims to protect the Bengal tiger and its habitat.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is an Indian agency founded on September 4, 2006, by amending the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Its main objective is to administer the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and reduce wildlife crimes. It began operations in 2008 and has its headquarters in Delhi, with offices located throughout the country.

Trent University in Ontario, Canada, is one of the most prominent institutions in wildlife DNA forensics. Here, researchers engage in a wide range of studies to understand the genetic makeup of various endangered species, allowing them to understand better how these animals function within their respective ecosystems. This cutting-edge research facility is one of the largest in North America and is a testament to the importance of ongoing research in wildlife conservation.

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Analyzing Various Types of Evidence

Wildlife forensic labs analyze a wide range of evidence, including various parts of an animal’s body, such as blood and tissue samples, carcasses, hair, teeth, bones, claws, talons, tusks, hides, fur, feathers, or stomach contents. In addition to these, scientists specializing in wildlife forensics also investigate materials used to kill or harm animals, such as poisons, pesticides, projectiles, and weapons. Furthermore, products that are made from animals are also of interest to wildlife forensic scientists, including leather goods and medicines, particularly those from Asia. These scientists may also analyze factors such as the geographic location of an animal, its behavior patterns, and any traces of human involvement at a crime scene. The precise scientific methodologies and techniques used in wildlife forensics can vary depending on the type of evidence being analyzed. Still, these professionals are highly trained in using DNA testing, microscopy, and other cutting-edge technologies to uncover clues and solve crimes.

Identifying a Particular Species

One of the most critical problems facing wildlife forensic scientists is identifying a particular species from crime scene evidence. This task requires much knowledge, expertise, and experience, as it is often difficult to differentiate between different species. Therefore, scientists may have to thoroughly analyze the evidence to determine if a piece of leather on a watchband is made from a protected animal, such as an elephant or a zebra, or if it comes from a non-protected animal, like a cow or a horse.

In addition, forensic scientists must identify whether a medicinal powder contains the pulverized remains of a protected animal, like a rhinoceros, a tiger, or coral. They must also be able to differentiate between the roe of protected fish from farm-raised caviar. This requires a lot of attention to detail and a thorough analysis of the evidence. Forensic scientists must also stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and technologies that can aid them in their work.

Aside from identifying the species, forensic scientists must also be able to determine the cause of death of the animal. This can help law enforcement officials better understand the nature of the crime and track down the perpetrators. It is a complex and challenging task, but one that is essential to protecting endangered species and preserving biodiversity.

Scientific Techniques Used in Wildlife Forensics

• Visual examination and microscopic analysis of animal parts, bullets, shot casings, paint chips, soil, and fibers found at the crime scene by experts in fingerprinting, ballistics, soil analysis, and hair comparisons
• Examination of carcasses for wounds to determine how the animal died and to distinguish natural death from human killing by pathologists
• Identification of species and sometimes subspecies of animals by experts in the morphology or the form of animals found at crime scenes
• Determination of age, sex, and time since death by careful observations of feathers, skulls, and skeletons by experts in the morphology or the form of animals
• Identification of poisons and pesticides, characterization of the contents of Asian medicines, and species identification when possible by chemists
• Protein and DNA analyses to provide information about the identity of a sample by molecular biologists
• Evaluation of two different samples to determine if they originated from the same individual and identification of species and characterization of familial relationships between animals by geneticists
• Provision of environmental information about an animal by geneticists

Examples of Criminal Cases

Here are the three examples of criminal cases in which wildlife forensics have been used, with their respective details:

1. Trafficking in fake or illegally imported caviar – This is a typical case in the United States. One specific incident involved six carcasses of pronghorn antelope found in a pit in Wyoming. The heads were removed, but no meat was taken. After a suspect was apprehended, wildlife forensic scientists were able to match DNA from the skulls of antelope in his custody to the DNA in the carcasses. The man was fined, served time in jail, and his hunting license was suspended.
2. Sale of the wild red drum – In 1991, the sale of wild red drum (a fish) was banned in the state of Texas, although farm-raised red drum may still be sold legally. Using chemical assays to distinguish between the types of fats found in wild and farm-raised red drum, forensic scientists could identify the origin of red drum in the marketplace. This led to the infiltration of poaching rings and the prosecution of violators in court.
3. Illegal killing of a brown hyena – In 1998, an Iowa hunter returned from a safari to Africa with the skull of a brown hyena that he had shot. The brown hyena is an endangered species, and after the man bragged about his kill, local wildlife agents seized the skull. Wildlife experts used morphology, comparing the skull to a series of hyena skulls, to identify the skull as illegal. The hunter was fined, and his hunting license was revoked worldwide.
4. In 2013, Indian officials arrested a group of poachers who had killed two tigers and removed their skins, claws, and other body parts. The poachers had planned to sell the parts on the black market. Wildlife forensic scientists identified the tigers using DNA analysis of the skin and tissue samples found at the crime scene. The poachers were subsequently convicted and sentenced to prison for their crimes against the tigers, which are an endangered species in India.