First Informatics Training for BoWPK

The importance of using information technology to support biodiversity conservation is unquestioned. 

Dr. Beatrice Khayota (second left in picture) Principal Research Scientist at National Museums of Kenya, and and Co-chair Barcode of Wildlife Project Kenya (BoWPK) during sample collection for the upcoming First Informatics Training the Project.

These training preps are key in overall demonstration of the use of DNA barcode evidence in investigations, prosecutions, and convictions by November 2014.

According to the Biodiversity Informatics Facility at the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Informatics strives to utilize information technologies in biodiversity research and the applications of information technologies to organize and analyze biological data from research collections, experiments, remote sensing, modeling, and databases.

This first informatics training will be a critical part for Barcode of Wildlife Project Kenya in empowering lead persons for specimen, academic labs and informatics groups to enhance law enforcement in fighting wildlife crime.

 

Also, this training aims at constructing a reference BARCODE library to support the Country's priority endangered species which eventually will formally be adopted and implemented, to legally support the use of DNA barcode as evidence in investigations, prosecutions, and convictions.

CURRENT STATUS OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

By William Kiprono, Ag. Director General, Kenya Wildlife Service

This statement focuses on the current status of wildlife, wildlife security, and government support and interventions as well as stakeholders contributions.

God has granted Kenya abundant natural resources, both flora and fauna.  We pride ourselves of an elephant population of over 30,000, the fourth largest in the world and a rhino population of 1,041 individuals as at end of 2013, the third largest in the world.

Ag. Director General, Kenya Wildlife Service

KWS has been given the mandate to provide conservation stewardship by the people of Kenya to conserve and protect this heritage on their behalf. We continue to discharge this duty with humility and dedication despite a myriad of challenges that range from impacts of climate change, growing human population; conflicting land use practises; human-wildlife conflict; invasive species, insufficient human and technological capacity, poaching and wildlife trophy trafficking.

Our most important duty is to secure wildlife and their habitat comprising of landscape and protected areas system. In this regard, we are working hard to fight wildlife security challenges relating to poaching and smuggling illegal ivory through our ports of entry and exits.

We are alive to the fact that wildlife, particularly rhinos and elephants, are increasingly becoming vulnerable because of high demand for their horns and ivory respectively. Poaching for this prized wildlife has become more organised, sophisticated and international in nature and is occurring across their ranges including in those areas that were hitherto considered safe havens.

Furthermore, poachers not only use sophisticated weaponry, they are now using silent poaching methods that are difficult for rangers on patrol to detect. In parks such as Lake Nakuru, rising water levels have shrunken grazing land for rhinos forcing them to move to park periphery, thus an easy target for poachers. That, compounded with the fact that Lake Nakuru is located in a cosmopolitan setting, have not helped matters with poachers sneaking into the park, hitting rhinos and disappearing into the town undetected.

Eighteen rhinos and 51 elephants have been lost to poachers this year. Last year, we lost a total of 59 and 302 rhinos and elephants respectively compared to 30 rhinos and 384 elephants in 2012.

In respect to smuggling of wildlife products using Kenya’s ports our law enforcement officers in collaboration with other agencies seized 13.5 tonnes of contraband ivory at the port of Mombasa last  year. Majority of smuggled contraband ivory had entered Kenya from neighbouring countries. There has been a decline in the desire by smugglers to use Kenyan ports to smuggle contraband ivory since we heightened surveillance there and with the enactment of a more punitive new wildlife law.

We also appreciate the fact that Kenya’s air and sea ports are the most vibrant in the region and therefore a favourite for smugglers to and from African countries. Indeed, investigations into most of the ivory seized at our ports are said to have originated from other countries in the region and were on transit. Since the beginning of this year, KWS law enforcement officers have arrested a total of 249 suspects who have since been prosecuted for various wildlife offences. We have also recovered 21 rifles and 79 ammunitions targeted at wildlife.

We attribute the problem of poaching in Kenya and the rest of African range states to growing demand and high prices being offered for rhino horn and elephant ivory in the Far-East countries as ready market continue to spur illegal sale of ivory and rhino horn.

The Government has placed wildlife security on top of its agenda by including KWS in the National Security Advisory Council. This is also shown by its Rapid Results Initiative which cuts across all national security and law enforcement agencies including the National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Airports Authority, and Kenya Ports Authority.

To restructure State Corporations, H. E President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed a TasK Force on Parastatal reforms whose recommendations are being implemented. Through this process, the wildlife sector will benefit greatly by having more resources channelled to address the challenges. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources last year established an Inter-Agency Elite Anti-Poaching Unit currently deployed in poaching hotspots.

The Cabinet Secretary also appointed a Task Force on wildlife security to identify the gaps specific to the sector. KWS has provided all the necessary information to this Task Force and we call upon the public to offer any valuable information to the Task Force.

We also acknowledge various interventions by the Government in the execution of our mandate. Of particular importance is the enactment of new Wildlife Act, 2013 that has given Kenya the toughest wildlife law in Africa. Our resolve has been and remains, that we shall not condone any further economic saboteurs to visit death on our wildlife.

KWS Acting. Director General William Kiprono (3rd left) addresses an international press conference on the status of wildlife in Kenya. He is flanked by (left to right) Julius Kimani, the deputy director security, Patrick Omondi, deputy director wildlife conservation, Benjamin Kavu, deputy director Community service and KWS spokesperson Paul Mbugua 

We have also enhanced collaboration with other law enforcement agencies in the country, in the region and internationally to ensure a more robust intelligence gathering. The collaboration includes follow-ups on suspected poaching gangs, surveillance in all port of entry and exits and overt operations in wildlife areas.

We are currently more engaged with the Judiciary and the Office of Director of Public Prosecution in view of securing convictions for arrested perpetrators of wildlife crimes. The multifaceted nature of this approach is geared toward more robust approach to eliminating poaching and trafficking in wildlife products.

We have also enhanced partnership with communities living in wildlife-inhabited areas to enable us foil numerous poaching incidents at the planning stage.   Communities remain a key pillar to wildlife conservation and its protection for posterity. We cherish their support and partnership this far.

A wildlife forensic and molecular laboratory is set to be commissioned in May 2014 to boost ou prosecution. This lab is intended to serve both East and Central Africa region in the fight against wildlife trafficking.

Finally  I want to appeal to all Kenya’s to support our efforts by reporting any suspected criminals by calling our toll free numbers 0800 597000 or 0800 2215566.  I also want to appeal to our development partners to help in the fight by channelling their resources to KWS to help us modernise our force and build capacity of our staff.  We would welcome any positive criticism that will help us end the killing and wildlife trafficking.

Animals Saving Animals

Animals Saving Animals a story at the 2013 report by AWF's "Many voices one future" Magazine.

KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE DNA FORENSIC LABORATORY

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is in the final stages of establishing a DNA Forensic laboratory to fight the escalating crisis of wildlife poach­ing and aid in the effective prosecution of poachers. The poaching situation in Kenya has risen and is now arguably the greatest threat to biodiversity in the country. The technology is expected to build up our capacity to deal with this taunting menace through support to all ongoing poaching and illicit trade investigations.

The Forensic laboratory will be fully outfitted with specifically tailored workflows to enable us take DNA samples from wildlife carcasses, crime scenes, and match them with the seized ivory, horns and illegal bush meat from smugglers and poachers. KWS believes that through the use of world-class life sciences tools, capabilities and processes, Kenya will leapfrog older crime fighting techniques to enhance the capabilities of KWS Law enforcement division to protect our biodiver­sity. The laboratory will enable our continent to fight against poaching and offer services for all African countries especially those in the East and Central regions that are battling this new, dangerous and bloody trade. 

WILDLIFE DNA FORENSICS

Wildlife DNA forensics is an applied field that has emerged from a synthesis of conservation genetic research and forensic genetic prac­tice to meet the increasing need for investigative tools in wildlife law enforcement. The forensic laboratory is primarily aimed at address­ing four key investigative questions relating to the identification of wildlife evidence:

1) What species is it?

2) Where did it come from?

3) Who did it?

4) Was it a captive bred? 

The laboratory will enable Kenya Wildlife Service to answer these four vital questions beyond any reasonable doubt. Answering these questions will help in the prosecution of poachers and deterrence of this vice in line with the new wildlife bill 2013. Wildlife DNA forensics is now becoming the key investigative tool to combat wildlife crime as national and international legislation is developed to protect wild­life. The way the DNA evidence is generated and presented in court is important to secure convictions. 

There are two paramount issues regarding wildlife forensics and the successful prosecution of wildlife crimes:

• The ability to identify the particular species of origin of an evidence item.

• The ability to determine whether the biological material can be assigned with confidence to a particular individual member of that species. 

HOW WILL THE WILDLIFE DNA FORENSIC LAB WORK?

The overall processes and specification for the laboratory will be based on those used in human DNA forensics. This includes the spa­tial organization and equipment required for laboratory, as well as the protocols controlling all aspects of forensic analysis from sample receipt to reporting results. The laboratory will operate under in­ternational standards published by the Scientific Working Group for Wildlife Forensic Sciences and forensic scientists will work towards individual accreditation under the Society for Wildlife Forensic Sci­ences certification scheme. 

Samples received at the laboratory will be recorded, analyzed and stored, with the resulting data interpreted in the context of the case and reported to the relevant authorities. The principle techniques employed will be DNA sequencing, used predominantly for species identification, and DNA profiling, used for individual and parentage determination, or geographic traceability where possible.

THE EXPECTED BENEFITS OF KWS FORENSICS LABORATORY

Several critical benefits will arise from the establishment of the DNA Forensics Lab:

1) Reliable identification of wildlife and wildlife products that will enhance prosecution and convictions of wildlife crime case.

2) Increased convictions of wildlife crime cases will deter offenders and reduce the rate of illegal harvest of wildlife and its product.

3) Establishment of a database of species genetic markers that will aid in quick reliable identification of wildlife and wildlife products.

4) Established platform that will be one of its kind in the entire East and Central Africa, hence it will serve the entire region towards curbing wildlife countries.

5) Assist in the certification or licensing for export of products whose provenance is suspect e.g. ornaments made from animal products, for business or research. This will curb illegal exploitation of our biodiversity and genetic resources. 

In addition, since Kenya is a hub for international flights, smuggled wildlife and or wildlife products are frequently confiscated at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The established forensic laboratory will aid the identification and possible source of products. The forensic laboratory will be the only platform for enhancing wild­life genetics research on the continent. 

The laboratory will interface with wildlife enforcement officers (KWS, police, and customs) in order to ad­vise on the availability of forensic tools and the collection, storage and transfer of biological evidence.

Evidence received at the laboratory will be analyzed under forensic con­ditions to address the investigative questions relevant to the case.

Forensic DNA evidence will be re­ported by the laboratory, where nec­essary as a witness statement, Crime scene investigation, Evidence transfer Evidence collection, DNA analysis Interpretation & reporting, Prosecution, KWS lab processes Forensic processes, and Wildlife Crime DNA recovery.