What is Corruption?
Corruption can mean different things to different people. It is the practice of obtaining power, influence, money or other personal gains through illegitimate means. This is at the expense of others. It includes dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power and usually involves bribery. Another definition of the vice is wrongdoing
Wildlife Law Africa Legislation and Cases
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Wildlife Crime in Africa: An Overview
Biodiversity in Africa
Wildlife crime remains a serious conservation issue which has grown beyond Africa and now has international ramifications. Africa has an abundant diversity of fauna and flora. It constitutes the highest proportion of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) globally. Some studies show that Africa is home to some one quarter of the world’s 4,700…
Introduction to Wildlife DNA Forensics
What is DNA?
DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms and is sometimes referred to as a genetic blueprint. This is because it contains the instructions that govern the development of an organism. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most…
Trafficking Modus Operandi
Concealment
Criminals who are trafficking wildlife products sometimes conceal them so that law enforcers do not detect them. They pay special attention to concealing the smuggling of wildlife products to avoid legal consequences. The essence of concealment of a crime is that the criminal intent of the guilty persons is not disclosed and their actions…
Identifying Commonly Trafficked Species and Specimens
Identifying Ivory
Identifying whole or worked elephant tusks is often done morphologically due to its unique characteristics. Elephant ivory comes from the two modified upper incisors of an elephant. An African elephant tusk can grow up to 3.5 meters in length. Enamel is present on the tusk tip in young animals. However, it soon wears…
Species Identification Methods
What is Species Identification
Species Identification is important in law enforcement as law enforcers often come across illegally trafficked wildlilfe or their body parts. The law enforcers need to be able to identify the species in order to determine whether it is a wildlife species subject to legal regulation or not. It also helps the…
Guidelines Regarding Use of Force
Basic Guidelines
The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials provides for various guidelines regarding use of force. Each country should develop a range of means as broad as possible to allow differentiated use of force. Countries should also equip law enforcement officials with various types of…
Use of Force
Principles on Use of Force
The majority of law enforcement officers have no desire to engage in a physical confrontation during their duties. However, due to their mandate, law enforcers often deal with violently resisting subjects. Use of force helps an officer to gain control of a subject using no more force than is…
Powers of Wildlife Law Enforcers
1. Powers of Search and Entry
Powers of entry and associated powers (such as search and seizure) are important tools that facilitate the protection of the public from harm. These powers enable the effective investigation of offences. They also allow for the necessary enforcement of regulations. Powers of entry are intrusive in nature and may…
Ethical Dilemmas in Wildlife Law Enforcement
Introduction
Law enforcement officers face many types of ethical decisions on a daily basis. They can take a number of ethical approaches in making a decision about an ethical issue. When officers have to make decisions involving ethical matters, they are faced with ethical dilemmas. The biggest challenge of ethical dilemmas is that they do…