Wildlife forensics applies scientific techniques to the investigation of wildlife crime, providing evidence that can secure prosecutions and deter future offences against wild animals.
Wildlife forensics directly supports animal welfare by enabling prosecution of those who cause animal suffering through wildlife crime. Without robust forensic evidence, prosecutions for raptor poisoning, badger baiting and illegal trade are difficult to secure. The deterrent effect of successful prosecutions reduces future offending, preventing additional animal suffering. Investment in wildlife forensic capacity — laboratories, trained analysts and evidence-based databases — is therefore an indirect animal welfare investment. Field-collected evidence including tissue samples, feathers and trace materials can now support investigations that would previously have been impossible to prosecute.