The Wildlife Forensics Academy (WFA), operating an hour from Cape Town, has made it its mission and has gone the extra mile to provide extensive training to its students. Individuals studying at this facility are often students looking to delve into careers such as veterinary or wildlife ranger positions.
Unsplash/Jan Harder
As evidence is crucial to convicting poachers, many perpetrators are not persecuted due to various reasons. This includes mishandling evidence on-site and not following proper procedures at the crime scene.
WFA ensures that its students are well-prepared for the challenges of wildlife protection by providing innovative, ‘real-life’ scenarios. From taxidermied animals to fake blood, intricate ‘crime scenes‘ are created by the WFA during training to educate students on the correct procedures for handling evidence correctly.
Leita Mkhabela, a ranger in the Greater Kruger at the all-female Black Mamba anti-poaching unit, comments that she believes this will increase conviction rates and deter poachers from their crimes.
She states, “This is something we come across every day, we have a high rate of rhino poaching,” she says. “We have so many poachers that have walked free in court because rangers didn’t collect enough evidence. It’s really important for rangers to get this knowledge.”
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