Animal Investigators

"Animal Investigators" by Laurel A. Neme offers an engrossing, behind-the-scenes look at the Clark R. Bavin U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory. This book reveals how a dedicated team of forensic scientists and agents works to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, the third largest illegal trade globally. Through fascinating case studies, such as headless walruses and black bears poached for their gallbladders, Neme details daring undercover investigations and the innovative forensic techniques used to gather conclusive evidence. It's a compelling blend of crime novel suspense and real-world science, perfect for middle schoolers interested in animals, mysteries, or STEM careers. Parents should be aware it discusses serious topics like poaching and illegal trade, but always from the perspective of justice and protection.

Inside the Clark R. Bavin U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory lies a rarely seen world, a CSI for wildlife, where a walk-in freezer contains carcasses and animal parts awaiting necropsies (animal autopsies); shelves and drawers hold pills, rugs, carvings, and countless other products made from parts of endangered animals; and a dedicated group of forensic scientists is responsible for victims from thirty thousand animal species. Accomplished environmental journalist Laurel A. Neme goes behind the scenes at the wildlife forensics lab -- the only crime lab of its kind -- to reveal how its forensic scientists and the agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to investigate wildlife crimes, protect endangered species, and stem illegal wildlife trafficking, the third largest illegal trade in the world. In three fascinating cases -- headless walrus washed up on the shores of Alaska, black bears killed for the healing powers of their gallbladders, and gorgeous feathered headdresses secretly shipped to the United States from the Amazon -- Neme traces the USFWS's daring undercover investigations and how the scientists' innovative forensic techniques provide conclusive evidence of a crime. Throughout, she underscores the staggering international scope of the supply and demand for wildlife and animal parts. Filled with the suspense and thrilling detail of a crime novel yet driven by the all-too-real drama of a small band of scientists and investigators battling a lucrative, high-stakes underground industry, Animal Investigators is an engrossing account of crime and cutting-edge science.