Wildlife Forensic Scientist Career Profile
- Career Name - Wildlife Forensics Scientist
- Category - Health / Law and Enforcement / Specialist
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Biology, Chemistry, Maths
- Minimum Required Education - Bachelor's Degree
- Species Worked With - Wildlife
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Direct
Do you want to work as a wildlife forensic specialist?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: ​Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for your career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTORS
UPDATED: 14 May 2023
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What is a Wildlife Forensic Scientist?
A wildlife forensic scientist uses scientific techniques and equipment to investigate wildlife related crimes, where animals were hurt or killed, such as in illegal smuggling, poaching and animal cruelty.
Alternative Names
Depending on the country and employers, the career may also be known as:
- Wildlife Forensic Specialist
- Wildlife Forensic Investigator
Career Categories
The Wildlife Forensic Scientist career can be found within the following OZT career categories:
- Health
- Law and Enforcement
- Specialist
Most smuggled animal?
An estimated one million pangolins were poached from 2000 through 2013 by criminals
Crime size?
The illegal wildlife trade market is estimated to be close to US17 billion per year
What does a Wildlife Forensic Scientist do?
Groups of animals a Wildlife Forensic Scientist works with
What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
With who does a Wildlife Forensic Scientist work?
Besides working with all of the animals, Veterinary Medicine Sales Representatives will need to interact with other people while doing their daily tasks. The people might include fellow staff members or the public.
Fellow staff might include:
- Supervisors/Managers
- Operational staff, such as Human Resources, Finance and Maintenance
What does a Wildlife Forensic Scientist focus on?
The primary focus of wildlife forensic scientist use scientific procedures to investigate wildlife-related crimes.
What are the daily tasks of a Wildlife Forensic Scientist?
- Discuss brief with client/supervisor
- Investigate crime scene
- Gather necessary samples
- Identify species specific material
- Research possible causes of death
- Write reports for clients
- Testify in prosecutions
- Administration and filing
Working conditions of a Wildlife Forensic Scientist do?
Where does a Wildlife Forensic Scientist work?
Environment –
Forensic scientists work equal amount indoors as outdoors. As most of the cases will be in the wildlife, they will spend a good time travelling in the field.
Places of Employment –
Most places of employment will include research laboratories, wildlife and marine conservation societies, government.
What is the average annual salary of a Wildlife Forensic Scientist ?
On average the income per year is around $58,000. This will differ from country to country.
Can a Wildlife Forensic Scientist be promoted?
Advancement in the field typically depends on work experience. First-year scientists often fit their training commitments around other work demands.
The levels of each promotion might differ from organization to organization, but generally are the following:
Intern -> Junior Scientist -> Senior Scientist -> Manager
What kind of difficulties can a Wildlife Forensic Scientist face?
The most difficult part will be working with dead animals. Specialists will also need to work long hours and on short notice. They will also need to be willing to travel, including in difficult terrain.
​Future growth and Possibilities
Since wildlife forensic science is a relatively new field, the number of new jobs will be determined by funding. On average, the possible future growth can sharply increase as governments and non-governmental actors take on environmental issues.
Which Skills are required by a Wildlife Forensic Scientist?
The skills required for a career as a wildlife forensic scientist can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills
- Basic customer service skills
- Good health and physical fitness
- Excellent computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to help prepare for this career?
Biology will be your most important subject to allow you to gain admission to college or university
Most of the procedures used to identify samples will require a higher degree of chemistry knowledge.
Depending on where you want to study, and the exact specialization, you might require mathematics as a school subject.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become a Wildlife Forensic Scientist?
Minimum Requirements
A Bachelor of Science degree is the minimum educational requirement for careers in forensic science, and many wildlife forensic scientists have earned more advanced degrees (Masters or Ph.D.)
Study Focus
Major –
major in wildlife sciences, biology, forensics, biochemistry, animal science or criminal justice.
Short Courses –
Courses in wildlife management, crime prevention
Study Duration
The duration of Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 3 or 4 years. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
Possible Career Preparation Paths
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
​To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A Preparation Path is like your road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Possible Combined Career Paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Training and apprenticeship
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as a wildlife forensic specialist will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
In some cases entry level positions require training sessions even before you are allowed to actually perform your job duties. These sessions are offered by the place of employment, after you have successfully applied.
Apprenticeship is also possible where you need to learn skills from a more senior experts.
Join the Wildlife Forensic Scientists Group in the OZT Community to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of education of all the people who enter the career
Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Certifications may help workers establish their credentials and enhance their skills.
Learn more about requirements by joining the OZT Community!
Professional Associations
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards crime prevention.
Do you want to Contribute?
Do you have information that you would like to contribute to this career?
Join the OZT community and career chat Group
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming a wildlife forensic scientist.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Wildlife Forensic Scientist, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
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