School of Wildlife Forensic and Health (SWFH) an independent unit of Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU) was established in the year 2010. SWFH has three divisions

• Division of Wildlife Health
• Division of Wildlife Forensic
• Division of Wildlife Investigation and Diagnostics

Besides fulfilling the basic objectives of teaching, research and extension activities, the school also provides veterinary assistance for conservation of critically endangered and threatened native wild animal species in and around central India. The School has been recognized by the Government of Madhya Pradesh as “Wildlife Forensic Laboratory” to provide scientific evidences to put before the Honourable Courts for prosecution and conviction of the poachers.

Vision:

Systematic and scientific wildlife health management and forensic research to conserve wildlife wealth of India.

Objective:

• Health monitoring and disease diagnosis by conventional and molecular based technologies.
• Forensic investigation of seized biological samples (meat, bone, antler, nails and blood stained materials etc.) by morphological and DNA based techniques received from various law enforcement agencies.
• To provide consultancy and technical assistance for scientific wildlife health management in central zone.
• To develop trained human recourses for wildlife forensic and health.

Mandates of Divisions:

Division of Wildlife Health

• Health monitoring of wild animals in protected areas and zoological parks
• Providing veterinary support to forest department under wildlife health extension activities for treatments, periodic health monitoring, operations for radio collaring and translocation of wild animals in different protected areas
• Wild Animal Outdoor Patient Department
• Wild Animal Indoor Patient Ward
• Necropsy of scheduled species for detailed investigation

Division of Wildlife Forensic

• DNA bank and in-house database for native wild species of Madhya Pradesh
• Molecular analysis of biological samples seized by Forest department and other law enforcement agencies
• Species identification and individual identification from meat samples, hair samples, skin samples, blood stained materials, teeth, nails, antlers, horns, hooves etc.
• Toxicological investigation

Division of Wildlife Investigation and Diagnostics

• Disease diagnosis in wild species using molecular and immunological techniques
• Investigation of disease outbreak in protected areas and zoological parks
• Histopathological investigations
• Haemato-biochemical and coprological investigations
• Designing and validation of molecular diagnostic markers for tuberculosis, canine distemper, leptospirosis, infectious canine hepatitis, canine parvo viral infection and Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) infection in wild animals.

Teaching:

The School is running Masters degree programme (M.V.Sc) and Ph.D. in Wildlife Health Management as well as PG Diploma in Wildlife Health Management. Till date, 25 M.V.Sc. and 01 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded. Two M.V.Sc. thesis have been submitted and one M.V.Sc. as well as three Ph.D. research are going on. Additionally, PG diploma in Wildlife Health Management is also being offered.

Trainings organized:

Three training programmes and one Brain Storming Session have been organized during the last three years for field wildlife veterinarians and wildlife officers.