Abstract:
Poaching and the international trade in wildlife are escalating problems
driven by poverty and greed and coordinated by increasingly sophisticated
criminal networks. Biodiversity loss, caused by habitat change, is exacerbated
by poaching, and species globally are facing extinction. Forensic evidence
underpins human and animal criminal investigations and is critical in criminal
prosecution and conviction. The application of forensic tools, particularly
forensic genetics, to animal case work continues to advance, providing
the systems to confront the challenges of wildlife investigations. This article
discusses some of these tools, their development, and implementations, as
well as recent advances. Examples of cases are provided in which forensic
evidence played a key role in obtaining convictions, thus laying the foundation
for the future application of techniques to disrupt the criminal networks
and safeguard biodiversity through species protection.
