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| Ravi Perera (center) accompanying members of Kenya's anti-poaching patrol with a bloodhound. |
Ravi Perera is no ordinary crime scene investigator. While he normally investigates crime scenes for a local police department in northwest
Orange County, California, twice a year he travels to Kenya where he provides training to the personnel in support of the country's anti-
poaching efforts. He even arranges for delivery of donated equipment, especially compact digital cameras which anti-poaching patrols need to record evidence at wildlife crime scenes. A native of Sri Lanka, Mr. Perera was first drawn to Africa by photography. When he was able to visit, he fell in love with Kenya where he set up a small business that allowed him to lead personalized photographic safaris in the country. During his visits, he learned that poaching is a huge problem in which
elephants and
rhinos are targeted for their
tusks and horns. According to Mr. Perera, 13 rhinos were killed by poachers in 2007. But by 2014, the number of rhinos killed grew to 1,215. The poachers are known to adopt brutal techniques in obtaining rhino horns by crippling the animals with bullets and hacking off as much of the horn as possible with a chainsaw. In addition, they also shoot to kill if confronted by an anti-poaching patrol. These are the conditions Mr. Perera is working to improvise for the anti-poaching patrols. For his next trip, Mr. Perera is going to collect compact digital and trip cameras, clothing, and first aid and trauma kits. He is also planning to take with him a collection of fingerprinting supplies to check to see which might work best in lifting hidden fingerprints from rhino horns. He will also continue to teach Kenya's anti-poaching patrol personnel how to collect and examine gunshot residue and accurately record a crime scene by using digital photography. As part of his solution to the problem of excessive area for anti-poaching patrols to guard in person, Mr. Perera will teach them how to install
traps using trip cameras that set off only under special circumstances. Furthermore, he will anti-poaching patrols correct handling of evidence and how to efficiently use their dogs.
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| Mr. Perera teaching anti-poaching personnel how to use camera trap. |
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| Bloodhound getting a sniff before being set off to track a scent as part of an anti-poaching patrol. |
Mr. Perera is an ideal role model in the battle against illegal poaching and
trade of wildlife around the world. Not only does he spend his time investigating ordinary crime scenes, he provides help and training to the anti-poaching personnel in Kenya in order to save elephants, rhinos, and other
endangered wildlife from poachers. Although anti-poaching personnel in Kenya and other African countries are fully dedicated to defending the wildlife, they often lack necessary skills and equipment which allows poachers to stay one step ahead of them in the ongoing war against poaching and illegal wildlife smuggling. This is where people like Mr. Perera step in to ensure that anti-poaching personnel are able to gain advantage against the poachers. This includes teaching them various techniques such as how to properly install camera traps, accurately handle and examine gunshot residue and other evidences at a crime scene, and effectively use their dogs when out on patrol. However, Mr. Perera is not the only one teaching anti-poaching personnel how to combat poaching. There is even news that a
team of British soldiers are training anti-poaching rangers in Malawi. It was even reported three years ago that a
team of U.S Marines were training park rangers in Chad to combat elephant poaching. However, poaching still remains a continual problem for the future of Africa's wildlife. This is why it is very crucial that both local and international law enforcement officials and military personnel should join forces in taking a tough stand against poaching and illegal smuggling of Africa's endangered wildlife.
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