Wildlife Forensics in the Genomic Era: Molecular Strategies for Anti-Poaching Investigations

Wildlife crime—including illegal poaching, breeding, and trafficking—is the second most widespread form of transnational crime globally, generating over USD $20 billion annually. These illicit activities not only drive numerous species toward extinction but also destabilize ecosystems, threaten public health through zoonotic spillovers and disrupt the socio-economic stability of communities that rely on biodiversity. The growing scale and complexity of these crimes demand advanced forensic approaches that can deliver robust, legally admissible evidence. With the advent of the genomic era, molecular technologies have revolutionized wildlife forensics by enabling precise species and sex identification, individual assignment, and population tracking. This review explores the integration of genomic tools—including DNA barcoding, short tandem repeats (STRs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), whole genome sequencing (WGS), and environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches—into wildlife crime investigations. Special focus is given to cutting-edge techniques such as CRISPR-based species detection, metagenomics for tracking the illegal wildlife trade, and the deployment of portable sequencers for in-field genotyping. The review also addresses pressing challenges and limitations such as the ethical use of genetic data, concerns about biopiracy, and the complexities of integrating genomic evidence into judicial and conservation frameworks. By analyzing the technological, ethical, and policy dimensions of genomics in wildlife forensics, this paper aims to guide researchers, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers toward a cohesive strategy for combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade in the genomic era.