In crimes involving wild animals, species identification is crucial due to extensive legislation of national or international scope that defines legality of hunting certain species considering their vulnerability and the greater or lesser risk of extinction. In Veterinary Medicine, many barriers are checked up in order to find individuality. In this case, methods of standardization are extremely important, which, in most cases, just aim to identify the species to form a bond with occurred facts. In this case identification begins by establishing animal species through zoology studies, macroscopic anatomical comparison with other animals, or by morphometric aspects. The animal referred by the Environmental Police to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology and Forensic Medicine, was identified as a paca (Cuniculus paca), species classified as lower risk of extinction by IUCN. Identification of wild animals involved in crimes is essential to punish an offense, and the zoology provides subsidies for such.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)