Current status of veterinary forensic science in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, forensic medicine was established in the early 1900s to investigate potential criminal activities. However, only a few veterinary courses in forensic science are available, and the training of forensic specialists has lagged. This study aimed to review the current status of veterinary forensic medicine in Japan. Veterinary forensics has recently been established, along with the publication of textbooks on animal abuse and wildlife forensics. Veterinary forensics can be broadly divided into the following categories: 1) criminal science, which includes the identification of animal abuse and neglect, and the responses to lawsuits; 2) monitoring of food safety and zoonosis; and 3) determination of the cause of death to support wildlife conservation efforts (wildlife forensics). The target animal species include mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and honeybees. To elucidate animal abuse, postmortem computed tomography and histopathological examinations are employed to determine the factors that lead to death.