Program: 

This training includes the following:

• Introduction to Wildlife Crime, Poaching and Illegal Trade;

• Marine Wildlife Poaching;

• Preservation of a Crime Scene;

• Role of Forensics;

• Forensic Traces (Detection and Collection);

• Crime Scene Management;

• Forensic Photography;

• Wildlife Anatomy: Handling and First Aid;

• Forensic Veterinary Pathology;

• Human-Wildlife Conflict;

• Hands-on Experience Laboratory Training:

  • Human Behaviour at the Crime Scene;

  • Courtroom Training;

• Anti-poaching and Bush Skills;

• Injured and Poisoned Animal Management;

• Health: Wildlife and Human: Risks and Prevention;

• South African Fauna and Flora;

• Wildlife tracking and basic survival skills.

Educational Touristic Activities:

• San Cultural Experience;

• Marine Conservation and Research;

• Tour of Cape Point and Table Mountain;

• Cape Town Waterfront;

• Two Oceans Aquarium Educational Tour;

• Seabird and Raptor Rehabilitation Tour;

• Cheetah Outreach Educational Tour;

• Game Drive;

• There will also be a morning with surfing/sea kayaking/whale watching - weather permitting.
  

What You Will Learn:

You will be introduced to a broad spectrum of wildlife crime cases and the investigative methods used to address them. Building on your existing knowledge of forensic science and investigative techniques, you will apply these skills to a variety of wildlife crime scenarios, with particular emphasis on the challenges and crime types prevalent in South Africa. By exploring the core principles of forensic science, you will develop an understanding of how continuity and integrity of evidence, crime scene documentation, and the recovery and analysis of evidence are crucial to effective wildlife crime investigations.

Hands-on experience will be gained through practical sessions at the state-of-the-art crime scene facility located at Buffelsfontein Nature Reserve just an hour outside of Cape Town, South Africa. These mock crime scenes will allow you to plan, document, and execute investigations that mirror real-world conditions. You will also be introduced to related disciplines that play a critical role in wildlife crime investigations, including forensic veterinary pathology and the management of injured or compromised animals.

To contextualise these skills within the broader global crisis, the program will also introduce you to the illegal wildlife trade—one of the primary drivers of wildlife crime. You will learn how this multi-billion-dollar transnational enterprise fuels poaching, trafficking, and biodiversity loss, and identify how forensic science can contribute to dismantling these criminal networks.

In addition to the theoretical and practical training, participants will take part in a range of educational visits and cultural activities. These experiences will deepen your understanding of South Africa’s conservation landscape and expose you to the organisations and initiatives actively working to protect wildlife, while also enriching your appreciation of the country's diverse cultural heritage.

How You Will Learn:

A mix of lectures, demonstrations, flipped classroom and hands-on practical activities will be utilised.  In addition, education excursions will be integrated into programme to provide background context to South African wildlife, conservation and culture.