Tracing the geographic origin of traded leopard body parts in the indian subcontinent with DNA-based assignment tests.
Illicit trade in wildlife products is rapidly decimating many species across the globe. Such trade is often underestimated for wide-ranging species until it is too late for the survival of their remaining populations. Policing this trade could be vastly improved if one could reliably determine geographic origins of illegal wildlife products and identify areas where greater enforcement is needed. Using DNA-based assignment tests (i.e., samples are assigned to geographic locations), we addressed these factors for leopards (Panthera pardus) on the Indian subcontinent. We created geography-specific allele frequencies from a genetic reference database of 173 leopards across India to infer geographic origins of DNA samples from 40 seized leopard skins. Sensitivity analyses of samples of known geographic origins and assignments of seized skins demonstrated robust assignments for Indian leopards. We found that confiscated pelts seized in small numbers were not necessarily from local leopards. The geographic footprint of large seizures appeared to be bigger than the cumulative footprint of several smaller seizures, indicating widespread leopard poaching across the subcontinent. Our seized samples had male-biased sex ratios, especially the large seizures. From multiple seized sample assignments, we identified central India as a poaching hotspot for leopards. The techniques we applied can be used to identify origins of seized illegal wildlife products and trade routes at the subcontinent scale and beyond.
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, GKVK Post, Bangalore, 56065, India; National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India; Department of Biology, Center for Conservation Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, U.S.A.; Postgraduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India. samratmondol@gmail.com.
Samrat
S
Mondol
Vanjulavalli
V
Sridhar
Prasanjeet
P
Yadav
Sanjay
S
Gubbi
Uma
U
Ramakrishnan
D000818:Animals; D003132:Commerce; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003415:Crime; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005843:Geography; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D046009:Panthera / Q000235:genetics
D004247:DNA
Panthera pardus fusca; caza ilegal; ciencias forenses de vida silvestre; designación genética; genetic assignment; illegal wildlife trade; mercado ilegal de vida silvestre; poaching; wildlife forensics