The James Logan Courier

By Jessica Knoblauch
Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) (MCT)

A new book explores how the world's first wildlife forensics lab is solving crimes and saving endangered species.

Not long ago, illegal wildlife smugglers could pretty much get away with murder. From selling polar bear rugs to crocodile-face ashtrays, these smugglers pull in as much as $20 billion annually, ranking just behind drugs and human trafficking as the third largest illegal trade worldwide.

But a little known group of dedicated scientists are stemming the tide of illegal wildlife trade at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., the world's first wildlife forensics lab.