DNA from collared lion convicts poachers in Zimbabwe

DNA evidence convicts lion poachers in world first

For the first time, DNA evidence from an individual lion has been used to successfully prosecute poachers. Two men in Zimbabwe were convicted and sentenced to prison in 2024 after DNA from recovered body parts matched a specific, collared lion in a national database.

The details of the landmark case, shared with the BBC by the NGO Traffic, were previously unknown. It marks a significant shift in how wildlife crime can be prosecuted.

How the poachers were caught

In May 2024, authorities in Hwange National Park noticed a radio collar on a tracked male lion had stopped transmitting. Investigators traced its last location and found a snare with lion fur.

Police questioned two men in a nearby village and discovered three sacks of meat, 16 lion claws, and four teeth. Possessing lion parts is not automatically illegal in Zimbabwe, as they can be claimed as traditional ornaments or from naturally deceased animals.

This legal loophole has historically been a major obstacle to prosecution. The breakthrough came from a DNA database built over eight years by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (VFWT).

The forensic breakthrough

A scientist at the VFWT, who requested anonymity for safety, generated a DNA profile from the seized claws and teeth. This profile was then compared to one previously created from a blood sample taken from the collared lion.

"The two profiles matched and scientists were able to identify the specific missing animal," the scientist said. "Before we had access to this technology, we were only able to do species identification, but sometimes that's not enough."

The VFWT's database, funded by about £250,000 from the UK's People's Postcode Lottery, was the key. Within ten days of the killing, the matching DNA evidence was presented in court.

The conviction and its global impact

The two poachers pleaded guilty. They were each given 24-month prison sentences, and the court was told the lion had a value of about $20,000.

Richard Scobey, Traffic's executive director, said the case proves "countries now have the forensic capability to bring solid science-based evidence to court." He believes this will have a global impact on wildlife law enforcement.

Professor Rob Ogden, co-founder of the forensic science organization Trace, called the prosecution a "message of hope." He says it demonstrates what is possible with a combination of training, research, and forensic casework.

The growing threat to lions

The conviction comes amid a reported increase in lions being killed for their body parts. The parts are sold as cultural objects in Africa and for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Experts believe the rise is linked to organized crime gangs also involved in rhino horn and ivory trafficking. Recent seizures highlight the scale of the trade:

• 17 lion skulls found in Lusaka in 2021, reportedly en route from South Africa.
• More than 300kg of lion body parts seized in Maputo in 2023.

In Mozambique alone, between 2010 and 2023, 426 lions were killed due to human contact, with a quarter linked to deliberate poaching. The new DNA identification technique is seen as a critical tool to combat this trend and send a powerful warning to would-be poachers.