Collecting forensic evidence.
The Wildlife Health Laboratory has an enhanced capability of conducting evidentiary analysis to aid in the conviction of wildlife violators (poachers).
We now have a full time Wildlife-Forensic Scientist. We combined two part-time positions into one full-time position in order to maintain continuity and management throughout the program.
This person works closely with the Regional Investigators providing expertise and tools to aid in the collection of biological evidence and then conducts analysis to help solve crimes.
They can determine gender and species from blood and tissue.
Using DNA analysis they can link meat from a suspect to tissue or blood left at a kill site to verify location of kill and link the suspect to the animal.
In the future we hope to include species identification using hair samples.
