A spatial approach to combatting wildlife crime.

Poaching can have devastating impacts on animal and plant numbers, and in many countries has reached crisis levels, with illegal hunters employing increasingly sophisticated techniques. We used data from an 8-year study in Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe, to show how geographic profiling-a mathematical technique originally developed in criminology and recently applied to animal foraging and epidemiology-can be adapted for use in investigations of wildlife crime. The data set contained information on over 10,000 incidents of illegal hunting and the deaths of 6,454 wild animals. We used a subset of data for which the illegal hunters' identities were known. Our model identified the illegal hunters' home villages based on the spatial locations of the hunting incidences (e.g., snares). Identification of the villages was improved by manipulating the probability surface inside the conservancy to reflect the fact that although the illegal hunters mostly live outside the conservancy, the majority of hunting occurs inside the conservancy (in criminology terms, commuter crime). These results combined with rigorous simulations showed for the first time how geographic profiling can be combined with GIS data and applied to situations with more complex spatial patterns, for example, where landscape heterogeneity means some parts of the study area are less likely to be used (e.g., aquatic areas for terrestrial animals) or where landscape permeability differs (e.g., forest bats tend not to fly over open areas). More broadly, these results show how geographic profiling can be used to target antipoaching interventions more effectively and more efficiently and to develop management strategies and conservation plans in a range of conservation scenarios.

An internationally standardized species identification test for use on suspected seized rhinoceros horn in the illegal wildlife trade.

Rhinoceros (rhino) numbers have dwindled substantially over the past century. As a result, three of the five species are now considered to be critically endangered, one species is vulnerable and one species is near-threatened. Poaching has increased dramatically over the past decade due to a growing demand for rhino horn products, primarily in Asia. Improved wildlife forensic techniques, such as validated tests for species identification of seized horns, are critical to aid current enforcement and prosecution efforts and provide a deterrent to future rhino horn trafficking. Here, we present an internationally standardized species identification test based on a 230 base pair cytochrome-b region. This test improves on previous nested PCR protocols and can be used for the discrimination of samples with <20pg of template DNA, thus suitable for DNA extracted from horn products. The assay was designed to amplify water buffalo samples, a common 'rhino horn' substitute, but to exclude human DNA, a common contaminant. Phylogenetic analyses using this partial cytochrome-b region resolved the five extant rhino species. Testing successfully returned a sequence and correct identification for all of the known rhino horn samples and vouchered rhino samples from museum and zoo collections, and provided species level identification for 47 out of 52 unknown samples from seizures. Validation and standardization was carried out across five different laboratories, in four different countries, demonstrating it to be an effective and reproducible test, robust to inter laboratory variation in equipment and consumables (such as PCR reagents). This is one of the first species identification tests to be internationally standardized to produce data for evidential proceedings and the first published validated test for rhinos, one of the flagship species groups of the illegal wildlife trade and for which forensic tools are urgently required. This study serves as a model for how species identification tests should be standardized and disseminated for wildlife forensic testing.

Comparison of Anti-inflammatory Effects Between Living Rhino Horn and Rhino Horn / 中国药师

Objective: To observe the difference in anti-inflammatory effect between living rhino horn and rhino horn by the method of comparative research to provide the experimental basis for the replacement of rhino horn by living rhino horn.Methods: The anti-inflammatory effects of living rhino horn and rhino horn were studied by the methods of paw edema in rats, cotton ball granuloma in mice, auricle swelling and peritoneal dye penetration.Results: Compared with that in the model control group, the foot metatarsus swelling degree at all time points in high (440 mg·kg-1) dose group and middle (220 mg·kg-1) dose group of living rhino horn and three doses groups of rhino horn showed statistical differences (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The high dose group (700 mg·kg-1) and middle dose group (350 mg·kg-1) of living rhino horn and rhino horn could significantly reduce the weight of cotton ball granuloma in mice (P＜0.05).Three doses groups (700, 350 and 175 mg·kg-1) of living rhino horn and rhino horn could significantly reduce auricle swelling in mice induced by xylene (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The absorbance of Evansan in the abdominal cavity in the middle dose group (350 mg·kg-1) of rhino horn and the high dose group (700 mg·kg-1) and middle (350 mg·kg-1) dose group of living rhino horn was significantly reduced (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the anti-inflammatory effect between living rhino horn and rhino horn at the same dose.Conclusion: Living rhino horn and rhino horn have a certain anti-inflammatory effect.The anti-inflammatory effect of living rhino horn is similar to those of the rhino horn, and living rhino horn can be used as a substitute of rhino horn.

Toward a new understanding of the links between poverty and illegal wildlife hunting.

Conservation organizations have increasingly raised concerns about escalating rates of illegal hunting and trade in wildlife. Previous studies have concluded that people hunt illegally because they are financially poor or lack alternative livelihood strategies. However, there has been little attempt to develop a richer understanding of the motivations behind contemporary illegal wildlife hunting. As a first step, we reviewed the academic and policy literatures on poaching and illegal wildlife use and considered the meanings of poverty and the relative importance of structure and individual agency. We placed motivations for illegal wildlife hunting within the context of the complex history of how wildlife laws were initially designed and enforced to indicate how hunting practices by specific communities were criminalized. We also considered the nature of poverty and the reasons for economic deprivation in particular communities to indicate how particular understandings of poverty as material deprivation ultimately shape approaches to illegal wildlife hunting. We found there is a need for a much better understanding of what poverty is and what motivates people to hunt illegally.

Analgesic Effect Comparison Between Living Rhino Horn and Rhino Horn / 中国药师

Objective:To compare the analgesic effect between living rhino horn and rhino horn in mice and rats,and to explore the possibility of living rhino horn used as a substitute of rhino horn. Methods:The analgesic effect was compared using the body tor-sion method and the formaldehyde method in mice,and the hot plate method and the thermal sting imager method in rats. Results:Compared with the control group,the living rhino horn at the dose of 0. 35,0. 7 and 1. 4 g·kg - 1 could significantly prolong the incu-bation period of body torsion induced by acetic acid(P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01),and significantly reduce the number of body torsion(P <0. 05 or P < 0. 01). The three dose groups(0. 35,0. 7,1. 4 g·kg - 1 )of rhino horn could significantly reduce the number of body tor-sion(P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). After the second dose and compared with the control group,the pain threshold of high dose group(1. 4 g·kg - 1 )of living rhino horn,high and middle dose groups(0. 7,1. 4 g·kg - 1 )of rhino horn was significantly prolonged(P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). Compared with the control group,three dose groups(0. 175,0. 35,0. 7 g·kg - 1 )of living rhino horn and rhino horn could significantly reduce the analgesic effect in mice induced by formaldehyde in the second phase(P < 0. 01). Compared with the control group,the changes of pain threshold before and after the administration in three dose groups(110,220,440 mg·kg - 1 )of liv-ing rhino horn and high dose group(440 mg·kg - 1 )of rhino horn was significantly increased(P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). Conclusion:Living rhino horn can be used as a substitute of rhino horn with promising analgesia effect.