DNA barcoding plugs routes of illegal wildlife trade

Kolkata: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has been successful in ascertaining suspected wildlife trade from detained parcels under international shipment through DNA barcoding thereby enabling wildlife investigating agencies identifying routes of illegal wildlife trade through extensive studies of seized materials.

The two detained parcels were confiscated by the Customs in the suspicion of illegal wildlife trade containing mysterious animal products of wild origin. The parcels were in transit and were being shipped via air-mail to the United States of America from the Kolkata International airport.

The officials suspected that the seizure was belonging to some reptile and sent it to ZSI, Kolkata, for molecular identification.

"Our identification through DNA forensics has revealed that the suspected confiscated material have closest genetic affinity with oriental house rat that is listed as 'Least Concern' under the IUCN listings," said ZSI scientist Mukesh Thakur .

Rats are used as delicacies in particular cuisines, however the investigating agencies are not sure about the motive behind under such overseas trade.

It may be mentioned that in the past few years, several instances have been reported where live animals and their parts and products were confiscated from the international airports being shipped to meet the emerging demand of wildlife in the grey market. Several wild animals have been in constant demand following the belief that wildlife and its parts have the potential to cure several ailments.

The WCCB published a manual that documents as maximum as 91 parcels carrying animal parts were sent in a year through the India National Post. The two confiscated specimens were parcelled from two different regions, Mizoram and Manipur in North East India, both have been popular for poaching and export of endangered wildlife animals over the past decade. This study has been successful in generating species-level identity from the seizures which were grilled, roasted and might have been processed before bringing to the laboratory analysis. The generating species identity from disfigured material was necessary as it was a legal case under the prosecution of the legal trials in the court of law to implement Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.

Thakur, who passionately deal the wildlife forensic cases at ZSI, Kolkata using molecular diagnosis of the seized material, is also recently certified as Wildlife Forensic Expert by the Society of Wildlife Forensic Sciences. This recognition, as a Wildlife Forensic Expert will certainly help in defending the cases in the court of law by exhibiting all standard procedures being followed at ZSI, he added.

Apart from Thakur , the other team members involved in the study are Shambadeb Basu, Gul Jabin, Avijit Ghosh, Sujeet Kumar Singh and Agni Mitra under the leadership of ZSI director Kailash Chandra.