UF Wildlife Forensic Sciences

09/10/2026

09/04/2026

Happy National Wildlife Day! Today we’re celebrating the incredible wildlife we share our planet with.🌎

From the animals in our own backyards and neighborhoods to species across the globe, wildlife is all around us. But many of these animals are facing growing threats from habitat loss, climate change, exploitation and wildlife crime.

Today is a reminder of why protecting wildlife and their habitats matters. Here’s to keeping wildlife wild and protecting the places they call home.💙

09/03/2026

Join us Sept. 30 for a free virtual info session on UF's online graduate program in Wildlife Forensic Sciences & Conservation, where science meets the fight to protect our planet's wildlife.

Hear from Program Director Susan Underkoffler about the curriculum, admissions, and the career opportunities this program can open up for you.

Register free today!
https://info.distance.ufl.edu/l/307541/2026-08-27/58123j

08/27/2026

Getting published in a scientific journal is a major milestone for any researcher. For UF Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation master’s student Aimée Henderson, it came before she even crossed the graduation stage! 🧬

Aimée was among the six authors of the paper published in the April 2026 edition of the journal ScienceDirect. The paper evaluated a portable DNA-based method for monitoring harmful algal blooms directly in the field. Now she’s looking at how her molecular biology background and the knowledge she’s gained through the program could help open a new direction in her career.

Read more about her published research and how she hopes to use her UF master’s degree to help prevent wildlife and environmental crime at the link below. ⬇️

https://info.distance.ufl.edu/l/307541/2026-07-24/57xzh7

08/20/2026

This semester, I’m hoping to ______. 🤔

Could be pass a tough class, make more time for yourself, finally graduate, secure an internship, meet new people or just make it through syllabus week. 👀

Whatever it is, we’re happy you’re here for the first day! Now finish the sentence in the comments, we really wanna know your semester goals!! 🐊

08/13/2026

Wildlife forensic work doesn’t end with finding evidence. It depends on knowing how to handle it, document it and understand the laws and systems behind it. 🐾

That’s why we offer an online Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation Graduate Certificate for students and professionals who want to strengthen their knowledge of wildlife crime, evidence processing, conservation law and contemporary issues in wildlife protection.

This 15-credit certificate can be completed fully online in as little as one year, with five courses that appear on your official UF transcript.

For those already working in conservation, animal care, law enforcement, forensics or a related field, this certificate offers a focused way to build deeper expertise in the work behind the field.

Learn more at the link below. ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4z5UiBu

08/07/2026

We’re so proud of our Summer 2026 Wildlife Forensic Sciences & Conservation graduates! 🎓🐊

Your hard work has brought you to this moment, and the knowledge and expertise you’ve gained will carry far beyond it. We can’t wait to see the impact you make for wildlife and the world we share.

Congratulations, Gator grads!

07/31/2026

It's time to see if you can ID this endangered species!🔍

There are very few of these cats left in the wild. Built for the cold forests of the Russian far east, this rare cat can run up to 37 mph and leap more than 19 feet. Its thick coat helps it survive brutal winters, but poaching, habitat loss and prey scarcity still put this endangered species at risk.

Can you guess the species? 🐾

07/24/2026

It’s National Zoo Keeper Week, and we’re celebrating Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation alumna Jenna Caraccilo, a penguin and African zookeeper at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. 🐧

Jenna’s work brings together animal care, conservation and public education, helping people understand not only the animals in front of them, but the bigger mission to protect wildlife and the planet. As Jenna shared, “The love for animals led me to both being a zookeeper and studying wildlife forensics.”

This week, we’re grateful for zookeepers like Jenna whose work helps people see wildlife care as part of something much bigger. 🌎

07/16/2026

A lion was killed in Zimbabwe, but the case did not end there. 🦁

In a world-first conviction, DNA forensics helped match seized lion parts back to one specific animal, giving prosecutors the evidence they needed to connect the trafficking case to the lion himself.
Science can still help uncover what happened, even after an animal is gone.

Read the full story below. ⬇️

https://bit.ly/3TlFcHy