Assam: Veterinary College strengthens role in wildlife research and forensics

The Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Khanapara, in collaboration with the Advanced Level State Biotech (ALSBT) Hub, Assam, successfully concluded a seven-day hands-on training programme on “Species Identification and Wildlife Forensic”. The programme, sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, was held from September 2–8, 2025.

A total of 20 participants, including Assistant Professors, Veterinary and Forest Veterinary Officers, PhD scholars, scientists, and MSc students from reputed institutions such as Gauhati University, Bodoland University, NERIST, Cotton University, Assam Don Bosco University, B. Barooah College, and AAU, attended the high-end training.

The inaugural session was chaired by Dr. Probodh Borah, Director of Research (Veterinary), AAU, while Dr. A.B. Srivastav, Former Director of the School of Wildlife Forensic & Health and Ex-Dean, NDVSU, Jabalpur, graced the event as Chief Guest. Dr. Aswini Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Assam State Zoo, was the Guest of Honour. Addressing the gathering, Dr. B.N. Saikia, Dean of the college, highlighted AAU’s long-standing contribution to wildlife studies and informed that a dedicated Wildlife Centre has recently been established to further this cause.

Over the course of the programme, 22 sessions—including nine hands-on practicals—were conducted by 11 national experts. The training covered key areas such as forensic post-mortem, crime scene investigation, sampling and report writing, nucleic acid extraction, PCR-based species identification, STR analysis, next-generation sequencing (NGS), DNA forensics, forensic toxicology, trichological and morphological examination of forensic samples, and the Wildlife Protection Act.

Speaking at the valedictory session, Dr. H.K. Bhattacharya, Associate Director, Extension Education, AAU, encouraged participants to utilise their newly acquired skills for impactful scientific contributions in society. Participants expressed appreciation for the training and called for more such advanced workshops in the future.

Dr. Dipak Deka, Head (in-charge) of the Department, stated that the department is fully equipped to provide species identification services for the Northeast and will soon initiate collaborative research in wildlife forensics. The sessions were anchored by Dr. Luitmoni Barkalita and Dr. Biswajyoti Borah, who also delivered the vote of thanks at the inaugural and valedictory sessions, respectively.