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On his final day in Singapore, the Prince of Wales engaged with scientists fighting against poaching and trafficking that poses a threat to endangered species.
The global underground market for plants and animals is valued at approximately £16.35 billion annually and is considered the fourth most profitable illegal trade, following human trafficking, drugs, and weapons.
William, aged 41, visited the Centre for Wildlife Forensics in Singapore to observe the country’s use of science and technology in combating smuggling syndicates.
Scientists at the location demonstrated to him how DNA sequencing is being utilized to track the source of elephant tusks and other animal parts confiscated by law enforcement entities.
The prince, who holds a degree in geography, acknowledged that his mind has been challenged by the scientific knowledge he has acquired during his time in Singapore. Despite this, he attempted to inject a sample of elephant ivory DNA onto a platform using a measuring device called a nanodrop spectrophotometer.
Wearing protective goggles, blue gloves, and a white lab coat, he administered a small sample into the machine, having been instructed by senior scientist Dr. Hiong Kim Chew.
Dr. Hiong commented that he performed the task skillfully and has a steady hand.
The hosts informed him that DNA sequencing can pinpoint the source of ivory within a 300km radius, aiding in the identification of the location where the illegally transported body parts originated.
In Singapore, a major transportation hub in Asia, William was presented with confiscated shark fins, pangolin scales, and elephant tusks, all of which are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr. Charlene Judith Fernandez, the head of the Centre for Animal and Veterinary Sciences and co-leader of the Centre for Wildlife Forensics, presented him with photographs of Singapore’s largest confiscation of illegal animal products – 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory and 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales – which occurred during a joint operation with Chinese customs in July 2019.
The prince was astonished by the amount of loot depicted in the photos.
Dr. Fernandez and her colleagues were initially energized by the seizure, but eventually it became a terrible experience for all of them.
She informed him that the team is interested in creating a global animal DNA database that can be accessed freely, to combat smugglers. Currently, there is a database for elephants in the United States and one for rhinos in South Africa, but both are privately owned.
William discovered that DNA sequencing can be used to distinguish between illegally traded modern ivory, artificial ivory created from resin and crushed bone powder, and ancient woolly mammoth tusks.
He was taken aback when he learned that the distinguishing characteristic of a woolly mammoth tusk is the orientation of the overlapping patterns, referred to as Schreger lines.
Mammoth tusks typically have Schreger lines that are narrower than a 100-degree angle, while elephants tend to have wider ones that exceed 115 degrees.
William expressed his lack of knowledge on the subject.
Source: independent.co.uk
