MP: Varsity starts research on skulls of wild animals to help identify species post death

A veterinary science university in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur has taken up research on skulls of three wild animals, which will help identify their species in decomposed state after death, an official said on Friday.

The state-run Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University's School of Wildlife Forensic and Health is researching skulls of deer species of sambar and chital and wild boar, the official said.

The research termed as "comparative osteomorphometrical studies on the skull of wild animals as an aid in wildlife forensics", has been initially started with three animal species -- sambar, chital and wild boar, the university's vice-chancellor professor S P Tiwari said.

Animal skulls are hard and do not decompose easily, and hence, it will be easy to identify their species once the data is available in the forensic laboratory after research, he said.

Madhya Pradesh is rich in wildlife, and the research was undertaken to create a database of wild animals step-wise, Tiwari said.

The incidents of poaching in forest areas are reported in news and if the data of DNA and other things such as body parts of wild animals is available following research, then species can be identified in a short time, the vice-chancellor said.

Speaking about the research, the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health's principal investigator Dr Devendra Podhade said the study focuses on various aspects of a wild animal's body such as unique identifiable features, morphological measurement of body parts, X-Ray and CT-Scan.

Separate data will be generated for male and female of sambar deer, chital and wild boar, Podhade said, adding that the state forest department has funded the study.