Wildlife Crime: Understanding and Combating Environmental Offenses

A hidden war is being fought—one forest, one shipment, one endangered species at a time.

Every year, billions of dollars flow through the illegal wildlife trade. From ivory-smuggling syndicates to rainforest timber cartels, wildlife crime is one of the fastest-growing forms of transnational organized crime—threatening species, ecosystems, national security, and the rule of law.

This book is your essential guide to the front lines of that fight.

Wildlife Crime: Understanding and Combating Environmental Offenses brings together the tools, tactics, and real-world knowledge used by wildlife enforcement officers, prosecutors, policymakers, and investigators around the globe. Whether you're a conservation professional, student, journalist, or simply concerned citizen, this book will equip you with a clear and comprehensive understanding of how modern wildlife crime operates—and how it can be stopped.

Inside, you'll explore:

  • The scale, scope, and global impact of wildlife crime
  • Poaching, trafficking networks, habitat destruction, and illegal fishing
  • Frontline enforcement, surveillance, and forensic techniques
  • International treaties like CITES and INTERPOL operations
  • The growing use of AI, drones, and digital intelligence
  • Case studies of real-world stings, arrests, and multi-agency cooperation
  • Strategies for prevention, legal reform, and community-led protection

Combining investigative depth with practical insight, this book is a call to action—and a roadmap for change.

In defending nature, we defend ourselves. The time to act is now.

Perfect for:

Environmental law students · Wildlife officers & rangers · Conservation NGOs · Investigative journalists · Policy analysts · Readers of environmental justice, security, and organized crime nonfiction