WILDLIFE CRIME

Wildlife crime refers to the illegal pursuit, exploitation, and harm, as well as the trade of protected, wild animals and plants. It is one of the largest forms of internationally organized crime and represents a significant global threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Since 1975, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has regulated the international trade of over 36.000 endangered animal and plant species. To enforce the law, various professional and research groups are necessary.

The Sparkling Science 2.0 project ‘WILDLIFE CRIME - Discovering and Uncovering’ aimed to raise the awareness of participating students regarding the urgency of combating crime through various workshops. In addition, they conducted their own research to gather data on public knowledge and awareness about wildlife crime.

Throughout the project, the students participated in a wide range of educational offerings, seminars, and public actions: They were given a tour of the Austrian customs office at Vienna International Airport, sequenced cheetah hair DNA in a workshop at Vienna Open Lab, connected online with the director of a snake farm in Thailand, and acted as diplomats in a UN Model Conference of the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), discussing wildlife trade. The Crocodile Specialist Group of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) provided the students with insights into applied species protection. BirdLife Austria and WWF Austria (World Wide Fund for Nature) informed them about wildlife crime in Austria.

Through research in stores and online, the students recognized that products from wildlife crime are also sold in Austria. They created informational brochures, videos, and school displays, which were used to educate and raise public awareness.

An essential part of the project was gathering data on the Austrian public's knowledge about wildlife crime. The students conducted quantitative surveys in their personal networks and interviewed a total of 1063 individuals. The results revealed knowledge gaps that can serve as a basis for future awareness campaigns.

The successful project was presented in numerous media outlets and generated great interest: It was featured at the ECSA 2024 (European Citizen Science Association), the 2025 Vienna Tourism Fair, and the OIS zam: Forum 2024 of the Ludwig Boltzmann Society in Salzburg. At the latter, one of the three coveted poster awards was proudly won.