Award-Winning Photos Highlight Forensic Search for Wildlife Criminals

Forensic science and combating the illegal wildlife trade were the focus of the Earth Photo 2026 Awards, where photojournalist Britta Jaschinski won first place for her impactful portfolio.

The UK-based German photographer is a multi-award winner and adds the Earth Photo award to the Environmental Photographer of the Year Grand Prize she received in April from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Jaschinski's latest series has been photographed across the UK and Europe, with wildlife crime units using new and old techniques to tackle the scourge of animal trafficking.

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Objects found include a stuffed lion's head, a bottle opener made from a lion's paw, numerous reptile skins, an elephant's foot and ivory, among other remains. Jaschinski's relentless gaze highlights how these majestic animals have been degraded and turned into commodities, and how investigators work tirelessly to find the culprits.

The most striking photograph, which shows a dead green turtle, looks like a scene from a fluorescent coral reef. But looking closer, you can see a handprint on the turtle's shell, illuminated by a special powder dye applied by a forensic expert. The turtle could be in its natural habitat, but it isn't: it's another victim.

"Seeing this level of forensic knowledge applied to a turtle was unexpected and extraordinary. Watching the team at work was almost like witnessing magic," Jaschinski told CNN in an email.

"What struck me most was the feeling of hope, also because it can serve as a deterrent. For a long time, organized criminal networks viewed wildlife trafficking as a low-risk, high-reward activity, with low conviction rates and relatively light sentences. As forensic science becomes more sophisticated, this equation is starting to change."

The image highlights the work of Louise Gibson and Alexandra Thomas, who lead the Wildlife Crime Laboratory at the Institute of Zoology, the research division of the Zoological Society of London.

Memory recovery
The laboratory claims that its research has demonstrated that some new generation powders can recover high-quality fingerprints in 70% of the wild animal samples tested, and that it is possible to recover the DNA left by individuals who handled the samples. The laboratory shares its research with authorities including the Greater London Metropolitan Police and border forces in 40 countries.

Jaschinski is a tireless advocate for the fight against wildlife trafficking. She co-founded Photographers Against Wildlife Crime in 2018 and, together with Keith Wilson and Arturo de Frías, created The Evidence Project, a group of photographers including Brent Stirton, Ami Vitale and the late Sebastião Salgado, who contributed images to a book about humanity's impact on the natural world.

"Wild animal smuggling has been regulated internationally for decades through agreements such as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), but only in recent years has it begun to be treated with the seriousness it deserves: as a form of transnational organized crime. This change has been encouraging," said Jaschinski.

Jaschinski's sea turtle image was previously named one of the best photographs of 2025 by TIME magazine.

The Earth Photo Awards, organized by the Royal Geographical Society, art consultancy Parker Harris and the charity Photoworks, also revealed winners in seven other categories.

Other awards
In the Climate Change category, Payal Kakkar, from New Delhi, won first prize for "Lives of Extraction", a photo essay about a resistance movement led by the indigenous Khairwar community, fighting against land dispossession and coal mining in Majhauli Paath, Singrauli, India.

Natalya Saprunova, a native of Russia and resident of Paris, won the New Scientist Editors Award for her documentation of permafrost thaw and coastal erosion in Canada's Northwest Territories and their impact on the Inuvialuit people.

The Royal Geographical Society in London is presenting an exhibition of the award winners until 24 July, before taking their work on tour across the UK throughout November.

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Source: CNN