African Wildlife Forensics Network – capacity and coordination for law enforcement
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Main
VALUE £248,500
WHERE Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mali, Gabon, Congo, Dem. Rep., Central African Republic, Botswana, Angola
Summary
An effective, cooperative network of wildlife forensic capacity is developed to help investigate IWT and support enforcement of CITES regulations for endangered species including elephant, rhinoceros, lion and pangolin. A country-by-country evaluation of forensic needs and current resources is used to produce a coordinated plan for regional capacity within. The results provide a forensic framework delivering increased law enforcement success, leading to the disruption of established organised criminal activities in low income countries.
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), Gabon - Agence Nationale des parcs nationaux (ANPN), Botswana Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT), TRACE Wildlife Forensic Network
Over 600 arrests and more than 500 convictions in wildlife crime since 2017, alongside a decline in ivory trafficking cases and an increase in elephant and rhino populations.
