Abstract
A new specialised university workplace focused on applied research of forensic methods used for evidence in cases of crime against wildlife was established on the grounds of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. The Centre operates as a consortium of two research institutions - the Institute for Environmental Studies of Charles University's Faculty of Science and the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) cooperating with other experts from both public and private institutions.
The Centre's main aim is to provide expert assistance to Czech authorities while researching and developing the most needed forensic methods. The Centre's staff involves scientists and practitioners, including judicial experts and former wildlife enforcement officicers.
Such an approach interconnecting scientific capacities and applied practice enables effective research targeting and increases the quality of professional support for investigations. All five research teams of the Centre are currently closely collaborating on the implementation of the project ForWild: Effective use of forensic evidence methods to combat wildlife crime (project n.
VJ01010026), financially supported by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic within the programme Strategic Support for the Development of Security Research 2019-2025 (IMPAKT 1). The research focuses on forensic techniques in morphology, genetics, stable isotopes, radionuclides, and chemical analysis and tries to combine and standardise the methods used.
The primary target research species were selected with reference to cases investigated in the Czech Republic in recent years, e.g., tiger killing and trade in tiger products (Operation Trophy, 2018), poaching and trade in trophies (Operation Hunter, 2019), trade in rhino horns (Operations Osseus, Rhino, Cube) and ivory Operations Ebur, Mammoth), etc.