New Singapore wildlife forensics centre to help tackle illegal trade as NParks launches K9 unit

SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) on Friday (Aug 27) formally opened Singapore’s first wildlife forensics centre to determine and detect the origins of seized wildlife and wildlife merchandise.

“The illegal wildlife trade threatens the survival of endangered species and harms habitats and ecosystems all around the world,” mentioned National Development Minister Desmond Lee on the opening.

The opening of the Centre for Wildlife Forensics comes a yr after its preliminary launch. “Over the past year, we have enhanced our systems and equipment, and improved our sampling and testing methodologies,” mentioned Mr Lee.

The centre will use DNA barcoding, and genetics and chemical evaluation strategies to determine the species of wildlife and wildlife merchandise seized. 

These assessments also can hint the doubtless origins of the merchandise, which can help Singapore’s regional and worldwide companions enhance enforcement in opposition to poaching and wildlife trafficking at supply, mentioned the minister.

This would go in the direction of tackling the worldwide situation of illegal wildlife trade, mentioned NParks in a press launch.

The centre can take a look at each animal merchandise such as pangolin scales and plant merchandise like timber. Part of the centre’s work will contain the identification of timber species to “accurately identify” CITES-listed timber species, mentioned NParks.

CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a world settlement to shield endangered vegetation and animals. There has been a file quantity of seizures of pangolin scales and elephant ivory in Singapore in recent times, with 8.8 million tonnes of elephant tusks and 37.4 tonnes of pangolin scales seized in 2019.