Tiny DNA samples could help crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking

By Stephen Beech

Tiny samples of DNA can "pinpoint" hotspots and trade routes of the illegal wildlife trade, reveals new research.

Technology could help dismantle lucrative poaching networks, say scientists.

Pangolins are among the most poached wildlife, accounting for almost a third of recorded international seizures in recent years.

In many places, pangolin meat and scales are prized for food and traditional medicine.

Genetic data can be valuable for tracing trafficked animals to their place of origin, but the method is hindered by difficulties in obtaining genetic samples of pangolins.

In the new study, researchers overcame that barrier by employing a gene-capture method to recover usable genomic information from degraded pangolin samples.

The team sequenced DNA from more than 700 samples of Sunda, Chinese, and white-bellied pangolins from museum collections, field-sites, bushmeat markets, and international trade seizures.

Using the genetic data from samples of known geographic origin in museum and field specimens, the researchers built a genomic "reference map" which helped them to trace each trafficked pangolin back to its likely origin.

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The data revealed several hotspots of illegal pangolin collection, including southwest Cameroon, Myanmar, and several locations across Africa.

The genetic record also tracks major trade routes across the borders of China and between Indonesian islands.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS Biology, also pinpointed wild populations that are exploited for both domestic and international trade, revealing the interconnectedness of the markets.

The research team say their sampling technique has "great potential" for tracking the illegal wildlife trade, but genetic material remains limited.

They propose that a more detailed DNA database of trafficked animals could be developed with the establishment of standardized genetic sampling protocols, shared tools, and greater data integration between wildlife trade tracing initiatives worldwide, for pangolins as well as other trafficked species.

Philippe Gaubert, from the University of Toulouse, France, said: "Integrating archival museum material with newly collected field and seizure samples enabled us to bridge long-standing gaps in geographic coverage and strengthen the accuracy of pangolin trade tracing."

Sean Heighton, also from the University of Toulouse, said: "We've shown that it's possible to trace trafficked pangolins back to their geographic origin with remarkable precision — sometimes to within just a few kilometers.

"This enables more efficient, intelligence-driven conservation by directing limited resources toward key poaching hotspots, whereby a range of targeted interventions can be employed to disrupt illegal trade networks.

"One of the most exciting aspects of this work is that we developed a single gene-capture kit that works across all eight pangolin species and on degraded museum specimens, making genomic tracing more accessible, scalable, and practical for real-world pangolin conservation and forensic use."

Gaubert added: "One of the most striking findings was that domestic pangolin trade is largely local, but it overlaps with the same sourcing regions that supply international trafficking — revealing a connected supply chain rather than separate markets."