Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department receives wildlife forensic support

Guwahati: Wildlife Genetics Laboratory of Aaranyak (www.aaranyak .org)now supports the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department in forensic DNA investigation of wildlife crime cases in the state.

Recently, the laboratory provided DNA analysis service in two wildlife crime cases under Pakke Wildlife SanctuaryDivision and Hapoli Wildlife Division of Arunachal Pradesh.

Aaranyak's Wildlife Genetics Laboratory, first and only one of its kind in

Northeast India, has been providing wildlife forensic DNA analysis service to the Assam Forest Department since 2014. It has provided crucial assistance in more than 80 wildlife crime cases in Assam so far.

"This is a significant step for our laboratory to be able to expand our area of operation to another state. We are happy to extend our services based on requests received from Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department in this regard," says Udayan Borthakur, Senior Scientist and founder Head of Wildlife Genetics Division at Aaranyak.

"One of the major shortfalls in minimizing wildlife crime is the low rate of conviction in the court of law. Forensic science, including the application of DNA technology, provides the crucial evidence required to establish a crime in the court of law and thereby increase the rate of conviction," said Borthakur.

Since its inception in 2008, Wildlife Genetics Laboratory of Aaranyak has been pioneering conservation genetics studies in north-eastern India. The laboratory works nationally and internationally, undertaking crucial research studies on several globally threatened species in India,Bhutan and Indonesia and contributing to conservation and protected area management, stated a press release.

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