Wildlife Forensics: An Initiative of Wildlife Institute of India
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 Role of DNA:

Electrophoresis and Wildlife Forensic DNA Facility:

Recently, cases related to meat have increased  and most of the samples of cases (ca. 164) are not preserved properly and require use of DNA based techniques. In view of pending cases of tissue samples, it was decided to establish basic Wildlife Forensic DNA facility. Such facility would allow us to deal with these cases as well as use this new tool in other facets of wildlife science like Conservation Genetics etc and absorb the knowledge in teaching various courses.

Wildlife Forensic DNA Facility at WII

With excellent special financial support of MoEF, the State-of-art Wildlife Forensic DNA facility has been set-up to deal wildlife offences and develop a national DNA profile data base for key species in determining source of origin in poaching cases.
 
Big Robot
Automated DNA Sequencer
Quantitative-PCR

WILDLIFE FORENSIC DNA FACILITY - AIMS

  • Establish tissue repository (No. species = ca. 125)

  • •Development of species specific molecular markers

  • Identification of source of origin of tiger, leopard & elephant

  • MOU has been signed with DNA Typing Unit, Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Kolkata

A Case Study

  • Meat sample sent was tested for Isoelectric Focusing for preliminary investigation and  found meat of  a ruminant

  • Phylogeny analysis using MEGA (ver-2) software based Cyt ‘b’

  • p- F-333 case sample

    • Blackbuck (CFSL) / F-333 = 98%

    • Blackbuck (GENE BANK) / F-333 = 96%

    • Blackbuck (Consensus) / F-333 = 96%

Status and Ecology of Leopard in Pauri Garhwal. Phase-II: Ranging patterns and reproductive biology of leopard (Panthera pardus) in Pauri Garhwal  Himalayas 

Researcher : Devendra Kumar
Project Investigator : Dr. S.P. Goyal
Other Collaborators : Robert Wielgus and Lisette Waits, USA Uttaranchal Forest Department

Objectives of the second phase:
 
The aims of the proposed study under Phase-II on leopard in Garhwal Himalayas are:
 

  1. To determine ranging patterns of female leopards (Non-invasive DNA based techniques) in relation to topography, vegetation, prey (wild & domestic) abundance, land use patterns, human dimension and reproductive status,

  2. 2.To study of reproductive biology with reference to frequency of
    pregnancy/extend of   lactation

  3. To suggest mitigatory measures to minimize leopard-man conflicts based on Phase-I and II studies.

Comparison of tiger (Panthera tigris) population estimated using noninvasive techniques of pug mark, camera trap and DNA based analysis of hair and scat in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve,

Advisors: Shri V.B. Sawarkar and Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh

Principal Investigator : Dr. S.P. Goyal

Co-Investigators: Dr. K. Sankar and Shri Q. Qureshi

Objectives :

  1. Estimate tiger population employing pugmark, camera trap (sight and resight) and non-invasive DNA based techniques using scat  and remotely collected hair in intensive study area of ca. 150  sq.km of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, and

  2. compare tiger estimates determined by various methods with respect to precision and accuracy and suggest appropriate protocols which are practical, suitable at variety of scales and cost effective for estimating tiger numbers.

Characterization of Species from Bone, Ivory, Rhino Horn and Antler to deal Wildlife Offence Cases

Senior Research Fellow:  Rina Rani Singh

Principal Investigators: Shri S. K. Mukherjee & Dr. S. P. Goyal

Objectives :

  1. Develop morphometric, chemical and DNA based techniques for characterizing species from major bones of Tiger, Leopard, Lion, Chital, Sambar, Barking deer and Swamp deer

  2. Establish species specific characteristics of raw and finished products of Asian ivory and prepare protocols to differentiate from other similar products, used in the trade

  3. Investigate source-area of Asian elephant ivory

  4. Determine characteristics of rhino horn

  5. Establish species characteristics and keys to identify antler of deer species

Panthera tigris genome: Implications in Wildlife Forensics

Principal Investigator : Dr. S. P. Goyal, Sr. Reader

Aims & Objectives:

  1. To develop & establish protocols for identification of tiger from various seizures in the form of skin, nails,whiskers and bones based on DNA techniques

  2. To establish noninvasive genotyping of different populations of tigers in India

  3. 3.Determine source of origin of various tiger parts and products seized under wildlife offences, and

  4. To provide genetic diversity information of different tiger populations in India.