The Exotic Side of Csi: Forensics in Non- Domesticated Animals

“CSI” – CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION! The very words conjure up a picture of murder, mystery, police officers, and poison analysis. Few would normally associate such activities—and all else that is part of modern forensic science—with contemporary veterinary practice. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Forensic veterinary medicine is here to stay! So what is exactly is “forensic veterinary medicine”? It can be defined as the application of veterinary knowledge to the purpose of the law: it therefore can also concern such matters as civil actions, insurance claims, and allegations of professional misconduct. Certain aspects of animal forensic work may be the responsibility of the specialist pathologist, toxicologist, or DNA technologist, but veterinary practitioners increasingly need to have some familiarity with the subject and to be able to deal adequately with a case when it is first presented.