Wildlife Forensic Investigation Techniques - Exchange of Information Among the Global Professional Community (Open for comments)

The appreciation and use of wildlife forensic techniques by academia, government and non-government organizations is increasing, but their standardized utility in wildlife crime investigations needs to be further propagated worldwide to curtail illegal wildlife trafficking.

There is a need for:

1. Scientific standardization of protocols in wildlife forensic investigations for utility by crime laboratories worldwide. E.g. Methods used for sample identification, preservation of sample integrity, format of presentation of evidence.

2. Recognition and understanding of such protocols, and usage of results thereof, by law enforcement agencies in court trials and presentation of evidence towards prosecution (or defense) of suspect/defendant.

3. Development of novel methods for questions in forensic science. E.g. Determination of time of death (TOD) of individual, age at TOD of individual.

This blog entry has been created to invoke interest towards the above mentioned objectives, obtain expert opinion, and thereby outline consensus strategies for exchange of information among scientific and administrative human resources linked with the wildlife forensics world.

Sincerely,

Ashwin Naidu

Graduate Research Associate
Conservation Genetics Laboratory,
University of Arizona, Tucson, USA