Wildlife Forensics: Species ID, Trade & Casework

Module 16 hrs4 topics

Foundations and the Scope of Wildlife Crime

What wildlife forensic science is, why it is a distinct discipline, the scale and structure of the illegal wildlife trade, and the international legal frameworks that create its mandate.

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Scope and History of Wildlife ForensicsWildlife forensics applies laboratory science to crimes against animals and plants, tracing its roots from fisheries biology to a recognised forensic discipline with dedicated laboratories on three continents.13 min13 min
Scale and Structure of the Illegal Wildlife TradeThe illegal wildlife trade is a multi-billion-dollar transnational criminal industry, structured along the same supply-chain logic as narcotics, with distinct source, transit, and consumer country roles and strong links to organised crime and conflict financing.11 min11 min
CITES Appendices and International Legal FrameworksCITES divides protected species into three appendices with different trade controls, and national laws such as the US Lacey Act, the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation, and India's Wildlife Protection Act translate those commitments into enforceable domestic offences.13 min13 min
National Legislation and Enforcement AgenciesWildlife law enforcement is carried out by a patchwork of national agencies, each with different mandates, resources, and legal powers; understanding that architecture is essential for the forensic scientist whose reports will be used by these bodies.12 min12 min

Module 26 hrs5 topics

Morphological Species Identification

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The anatomy-based methods for identifying animal parts and products: hair, feather, scale, bone, horn, ivory, and shell. How reference collections, morphological keys, and microscopy underpin species attribution.

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Module 36 hrs3 topics

Molecular and Genomic Species Identification

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DNA-based methods for species identification, individual profiling, and geographic provenance determination. Barcoding loci, population genetics, stable isotopes, and the databases that make them work.

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Module 46 hrs5 topics

Poaching Scene Investigation

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How wildlife crime scenes differ from conventional crime scenes, and the specialist techniques for documenting, recovering, and interpreting evidence at poaching sites.

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Module 56 hrs3 topics

Ivory, Rhino Horn, and Large Mammal Casework

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Species- and stock-specific casework for the highest-value illegal trade commodities: elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, and big-cat products, with the science behind each exhibit type.

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Module 66 hrs3 topics

Pangolin, Marine Species, and Other Traded Taxa

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Casework methods for pangolins, sea turtles, sharks, and high-volume traded reptiles, covering the species-specific forensic challenges each group presents.

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Module 76 hrs3 topics

Timber and Plant Forensics

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The forensic identification of traded timber and other CITES-listed plants, including wood anatomy, DNA, and isotopic tools, applied to the illegal timber trade.

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Module 86 hrs3 topics

Specialist Laboratories, Databases, and Quality Systems

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The global network of wildlife forensic laboratories, the reference databases they maintain and share, and the accreditation and quality standards that govern admissible evidence.

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Module 96 hrs3 topics

Court, Ethics, and Emerging Directions

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How wildlife forensic evidence is presented in court, the statistical interpretation of species and population matches, ethical issues in the discipline, and emerging methods including eDNA and remote sensing.

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Your journey to becoming a forensic professional starts here.

Wildlife Forensics

Wildlife Forensics