Enhancing surveillance and deterrence of illegal wildlife trade and trafficking in East Africa by molecular detection of wildlife barcodes

East Africa is home to a rich diversity of wildlife including iconic species such as lion Panthera leo) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), but also critically endangered species such as black rhino (Diceros bicornis), grevys... [ view full abstract ]

East Africa is home to a rich diversity of wildlife including iconic species such as lion Panthera leo) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), but also critically endangered species such as black rhino (Diceros bicornis), grevys zebra (Equus grevyi) and mountain bongo (Tragephalus eurycerus). lllegal trade and trafficking of wildlife products remains an impediment not only to biodiversity conservation and but also to public health. In Kenya and Tanzania, the trade of wildlife meat (bushmeat) has escalated to unsustainable levels posing a major threat to East African wildlife populations. Prosecution of bushmeat trade perpetrators in East Africa is the most effective means of deterrence, but it requires forensic evidence based on cytochrome oxidase I (COI) DNA-barcode sequencing, which is costly to generate and time-consuming. There is a need for rapid, cost-effective forensic tools to screen for wildlife DNA in meat samples to support surveillance of bushmeat trade and improve law enforcement against perpetrators.

We have developed and validated a standard protocol for screening suspect meat samples for wildlife barcodes, using high resolution melt analysis (HRMA) of amplification products of three genes i.e. the standard forensic gene CO1, 16S ribosomal DNA and cytochrome B. Our results confirm the applicability of the assay in discrimination of between livestock species and wild ungulates, which are routinely hunted and traded illegally. Furthermore, the assay distinguishes closely related wild and domestic species belonging to the same families such as lion, cheetah, leopard and domestic cat (family Felicidae); plains zebra, grevys zebra and domestic donkey (subfamily Equinae); warthog, bushpig and domestic pig (subfamily Suinae); buffalo and domestic cow (subfamily Bovinae). The technology is being transferred to the wildlife agencies in Kenya and Tanzania. It is envisaged that, adoption of HRMA as a prescreening tool will reduce the costs and increase throughput of molecular surveillance, freeing up funds and labor time for generating forensic evidence for bushmeat prosecution.