Wildlife crime investigation involves the detection, evidence-gathering and prosecution of illegal acts against wild animals, from raptor persecution to illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction.
Wildlife crimes cause immense suffering to individual animals, from the agony of snares and illegal traps to the stress and mortality of illegal collection and trade. Effective wildlife crime investigation directly prevents animal suffering by removing offenders from the landscape. The welfare dimension of wildlife crime often goes underappreciated — prosecution is not just about conservation numbers but about stopping acts of deliberate cruelty. Investigators require specialist training to document animal suffering as part of the evidence record.