A new partnership in wildlife forensics

Our conservation messaging across the Zoo constantly reminds us of the overwhelming challenges that wildlife faces from poaching and trafficking of live animals or their parts in various forms. I recently heard a Keynote Speaker refer to the fact that the keratin in the horn of a rhinoceros is worth more, by weight, than gold in the illegal markets. Indeed, all species of rhinoceros would be in much better shape if they did not have such a fantastically high-value adornment on their snouts.  

Just as human forensic scientists arrive at the scene of a murder to begin the arduous process of identifying the victim and ultimately identifying the perpetrator, there are equivalent specialists in the field of wildlife forensics. They face such challenges as determining which species of animal is involved in a case, as well as identifying where and how it was killed and processed and who did these illegal activities. As part of our broad mission in conservation, I am excited to announce a new partnership for the Zoo in the field of wildlife forensics. The work is messy, difficult, and sad, but it is very important in the fight to conserve wildlife. 

Our colleagues at Clayton State University, just a bit south of the Zoo, have developed a new undergraduate career-path training program in wildlife forensics, with the mission: 

The Laker Wildlife Initiative advances knowledge, skills, and innovation in forensic and investigative sciences through multidisciplinary education, research, and service, with a unique focus on wildlife crime and conservation.  

https://www.clayton.edu/arts-sciences/initiatives/laker-wildlife/index.php 

The new program was created by Dr. Andrea Allen and Dr. Josh Meddaugh, from the Criminal Justice and Political Sciences Departments, respectively, at Clayton State University. They were inspired by a visit to the wonderful Wildlife Forensic Foundation in South Africa (https://www.wildlifeforensic.foundation/) that trains rangers and investigators to work on the frontlines of animal poaching and trafficking in South Africa. Drs. Allen and Meddaugh realized that their proximity to the busiest airport in the world and a major Port-of-Entry in Savannah, Georgia, provided an open niche for training interesting and important careers for their students. The volume of wildlife-related items that move through our airport and seaport every day is massive and, unfortunately, some of that trade is illegal and directly harmful to endangered species.  

Over the summer, Dr. Allen and Dr. Meddaugh reached out to the Zoo to see if we were interested in partnering with their new program in some way. We had an energetic brainstorming session at our first meeting with them. A most obvious role for the Zoo quickly became apparent. You cannot train forensic investigators without forensic samples from which to learn! So, our Scientific Research Committee recently approved the transfer of selected carcasses to Clayton State to be used in training. For example, they are establishing a “body farm” similar to the facility in Tennessee used to train human forensic investigators. Basic questions are at stake: How do different carcasses decompose under various conditions? Is it possible to get usable DNA-samples from a bone that’s been exposed to the elements and scavengers for several years?  A reference teaching collection will help students distinguish bones, feathers, skins, etc. from different species, realizing that unscrupulous traffickers will mislabel containers and falsify paperwork to cover their misdeeds. 

A personal passion of mine, as well as others at the Zoo, notably Stephanie Earhart of our Veterinary Team, is to maximize the value of animals in our care by realizing that they can be of enormous value after their lifespans have passed. For years, we have regularly sent carcasses to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory (https://www.fws.gov/law-enforcement/clark-r-bavin-national-fish-and-wildlife-forensics-laboratory) where the samples serve as crucial reference materials for officers investigating possible wildlife crimes. One can argue that the best way to determine if a shipment contains illegal tiger bones is to compare the materials to actual tiger bones! With this new partnership with Clayton State University, we have extended our impact in the fight against trafficking by providing the training materials necessary for future wildlife forensics investigators. 

This month, The Laker Wildlife Initiative hosted their colleagues from the Wildlife Forensic Foundation in South Africa on the Clayton campus for a weeklong inaugural workshop and summit, using materials from Zoo Atlanta.  The event culminated in a Wildlife Forensics Gala event on campus, which Zoo Atlanta was invited to join. I must admit that the gory realities of forensic work and “Gala” was an odd pairing in my mind! But the event was very classy and, of course, they kept the slide shows free of gory images, even if everyone knows what really happens in that field! And I am very proud to announce that The Laker Wildlife Initiative recognized Zoo Atlanta with their inaugural Wildlife Protector of the Year Award. The award was accepted on our behalf by Dr. Gina Ferrie, our Vice President of Collections and Conservation, and she gave a wonderful acceptance speech highlighting the parallels in the missions of the of the new initiative and Zoo Atlanta. 

It is wonderful for us to be recognized for our enormous contributions and leadership in conservation initiatives, and I am especially excited for us to be recognized by such a creative and progressive program. As I mentioned above, it also means a lot to me personally that the animals that we care so much about can continue to contribute to conservation even after their time in life has passed. 

Dr. Joe Mendelson
Director of Research