UK's first CSI Wildlife Forensics Course - An Outright Hit!

08/04/25

Leveraging AI to great effect, the team at Forensic Response UK developed a hard hitting CSI Wildlife Forensics Course that presented students with opportunities to capture forensic evidence from an elephant kill site in Africa, a car search at a road block and apprehending the lead perpetrator as he attempts to skip the country, all supported by a laboratory to demonstrate fingerprint evidence and microscopic techniques used in forensic investigation.

Thanks to the generous support of our hosts at the fabulous Cotswold Wildlife Park (http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk) and The Jon Egging Trust (http://www.joneggingtrust.org.uk), 30 students from Swindon Academy worked their way through forensic evidence recognition, collection, processing and results interpretation to understand how wildlife crime is investigated and its significance in underpinning serious international crime involving weapons, drugs and people trafficking: sadly, wildlife crime really is the criminals' cash cow and disrupting it at source has a major impact on organised crime groups. The students' feedback was tremendous with smiles from ear to ear and several confirming their interest in a career in forensic science: they all left buzzing with a small memento of the event and their own fingerprint keyring.

Helen Hitchman, Education Manager at Cotswold Wildlife Park, ‘We had a fantastic day with Forensic Response UK. The Forensic Course gave the students the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of investigating a wildlife crime scene. The scenario was informative, innovative, and interactive and the kids had great fun getting into character. Forensic Response UK were amazing in organising and delivering the day from start to finish. We will definitely be running the day again with the team from FR-UK”

Tracy Alexander, Forensic Director www.forensicresponse.org, 'it was so rewarding to inspire international forensic scientists of the future and our very first wildlife crime course was an outright hit with all the students and their teachers. We are in touch with several zoos and wildlife parks to establish their interest in our ‘education for conservation’ course, and we are planning for several events over the coming months'.