The causal link between climate change, biodiversity loss and human intervention is unquestionable. This fact indicates the need to take action against illegal acts that affect wildlife. Hungary is also affected by wildlife crimes, so the detection and prosecution of perpetrators is crucial. This study examines the situation of wildlife forensics in Hungary.
Aim: Presentation of the characteristics of wildlife crimes, outlining the characteristics of wildlife forensics.
Methodology: To prepare the study, we have reviewed the current international and national legal norms and professional rules. We also reviewed the relevant international and domestic literature on this topic.
Findings: One of the most important and burning tasks of modern civilization is to preserve and protect our environment, including the living world. Detecting, punishing wildlife criminal behaviour and preventing further crimes play relevant role in this process. In Hungary we have to face with different problems when it comes to the question of effective actions against wildlife crime: lack of specialized forensic technicians, lack of special professional protocols, incomplete biological knowledge of the authorities, inadequate funding of non-human forensic genetic laboratories, and the lack of forensically validated non-human (genetic) databases.
Value: The authors are the first in Hungary to outline the basic features of wildlife forensics.