Application of DNA Fingerprinting and Wildlife Forensics

Abstract

Illegal wildlife trade has been detected as a global threat to the sustainability of biodiversity and the security of society. It invited the strict wildlife protection laws. In the past two decades, forensic science has evolved rapidly with its emerging branch “wildlife forensics” with great success. Investigation of wildlife crime is increasingly supporting the implementation of wildlife protection laws. Among two methods, viz., morphological examination and molecular analysis, the latter was proven as the most effective method for dealing such issues. The primers designed for conserved region located on the genes of the mitochondrial genome have enormous scope in dealing the DNA wildlife forensics. We describe the use of morphological examination, DNA typing, and genetic profiling in dealing the wildlife offenses.