Combating Wildlife Crime in South Africa ― Using Gelatine Lifters for Forensic Trace Recovery

This brief explores wildlife crime and its international and culture-specific combat in South Africa from a green psychology perspective, focusing on a specific method of forensic trace recovery by analysing and evaluating the use of gelatine lifters.

It provides theoretical and applied insight into visualising and sequential processing of finger-, shoe- and footprints, and environmental traces. It allows the reader in-depth insight into effective methods of international wildlife crime combat, based on the South African perspective. This brief gives theoretical and applied recommendations for international, regional and local actors for successful cooperation on wildlife protection.

As global and local programs, actions and law enforcement strategies to combat wildlife crime are gaining strength, forensic trace evidence is a useful method for investigative and preventive success. This brief will be useful for students and researchers in forensic science, wildlife crime, green criminology, as well as for law enforcement and international actors combating wildlife crime practically on both international and local levels.

Claude-Helene Mayer is a Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University in South Africa, and an Adjuct Professor at Europa-University Viadrina in Germany. She has an MSc in Crime Studies, Investigation and Intelligence, a PhD in Psychology and a PhD in Management. Her work combines interdisciplinary knowledge and consulting experiences, focusing on combating wildlife crime from an African perspective.