Wildlife Institute of India has been receiving wildlife offence cases from various enforcement agencies since 1987. It was felt that enforcement of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972) is often hampered due to the lack of reference materials and methods necessary to identify the animal and plant species in various wildlife offence cases. Therefore, a need was felt for strengthening the Wildlife Forensic Capabilities so as to support the enforcement agencies in the proper implementation of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in controlling the illegal wildlife trade.

A collaborative project between US Fish and Wildlife Services and Wildlife Institute of India was initiated in October 1995 to strengthen the Wildlife forensic capability at WII through Research and Development and then disseminating the knowledge to the various law enforcement agencies.

Wildlife Institute of India provided the logistic support as well as the work space  for the forensic lab, while the infrastructure has been procured through Wildlife Forensic Project. The forensic laboratory became operational in January 1998.

Objectives of The Forensic Laboratory :

1. To prepare a perspective plan for the development of wildlife forensic technology in India.
2. To establish close linkages with national and international institutions of repute in wildlife forensic technology.
3. To create the required infrastructure (work space, storage facility,  reference sample and data base).
4. To become proficient in species-specific identification of Indian vertebrates using external morphological characteristics.
5. Begin accumulating and storing reference samples for eventual use in biochemical forensic analysis.
6. To disseminate the acquired knowledge to the users i.e. the various law enforcement agencies.

The project has seven team members, including three Investigators, two researchers, one technician and an attendant.

Of the total 84 cases received between April 2001 and March 2002, there were 39 cases from Forest Department (46.98%), 20 cases from Police Department (24.09%), 08 cases from Court (9.6%), 4 case from Customs (4.8%), 10 cases from the government of India (12.04%) and 3 cases from others (3.61%). The biological material received under the wildlife offence cases includes hair and skins, followed by shawls, bone, meat, tusk, wool, claw, musk pod, bear bile, antler, hair, horn/hoof, blood, fat, brush, snake venom and others. 

Material received from various Enforcement Agencies

The majority of the samples was received from Madhya Pradesh, and this is due to the active involvement of forest and police officers to control Wildlife   Poaching.

In view of various pending cases related to meat that require the use of DNA based technique, we initiated establishing a Wildlife Forensic DNA Facility at WII. We also collaborated with the DNA Typing Unit, Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), Kolkata for developing species-specific DNA probe and profiles. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with BPRD for preparing DNA profiles of various species at CFSL, Kolkata. 

Department-wise distribution of the Wildlife Offence cases referred to WII

At WII various techniques such as PCR-RFLP, mitochondrial DNA analysis will be standardized for identifying species. With the close cooperation of Zoological Parks at New Delhi, Mysore, Chennai and Kanpur, it has been possible to procure sixty three reference tissue samples of fourty species which includes 24 mammals and sixteen birds during the reported period. At present we have tissue sample repository of 188 species.  

Shri C.P. Sharma, the Laboratory Technician who was on study leave for his Master Course in Forensic Science from Punjabi University, Patiala, sponsored under Wildlife Institute of India-US Fish and Wildlife Service collaborative project, has rejoined us after successfully completing the course. 

Various Officers from the Forest Research Institute, State Forest Service College, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Madras Veterinary College, National Institute of Immunology and Ministry of Environment and Forest visited the Wildlife Forensic Laboratory.