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trap locked. Injuries due to entanglement in (wire-) snares vary depending on the type of ligature, body location, length and amount of constriction etc. If skin and blood vessels are constricted, tissue swelling and edema with subsequent necrosis of the body parts distal from the ligature are found, mostly with a sharp margin to the healthy tissue. Subcutaneous haemorrhage, lacerations, abrasions and hair loss may be present due to struggling of the victim. Histologic samples of the wound and culture samples of the affected areas may give time estimates for the time the ligature was in place, based on infection and the evaluation of the granulation tissue. If the animals are found in or near the trap, it is usually easy to attribute the lesions found at necropsy to the respective device. However, if the animal was killed by or in a trap and subsequently disposed of (i.e. no history of trapping exists), it may be complex to confirm illegal trapping. Animals that were caught alive in cage traps may die of starvation/dehydration or hypo- /hyperthermia with the respective lesions found at necropsy, albeit giving no hint on illegal trapping. 6.1.4.4 Pathological findings in firearm victims 6.1.4.4.1 Handling of suspected firearm victims Handling of the carcass should be reduced to a minimum both at the crime site and during external examination to avoid the loss of any evidence, e.g. a bullet fragment that is located near a wound falling out. After removal from the body bag used for transportation, the bag should be examined closely for the presence of any evidence that has exited the body during transportation. 59 6.1.4.4.2 Necropsy of suspected firearm victims As a rule, all suspected firearm-victims must be radiographed BEFORE necropsy! (see respective chapter). The usage of rapid lead test kits to detect lead residues of bullets in tissues is possible; however, due to the availability of lead-free hunting-ammunition for many types of weapons today, caution should be exerted when interpreting the results of these test kits, especially when they are negative. Finding bullet parts or shots in a carcass does not necessarily mean that this relates to the death of the animal! Animals may suffer non-fatal shooting injuries (especially pellets) that do not interfere with any vital function. Especially when shotgun pellets are found in the hide or muscles, it is of paramount importance to determine if these are freshly inflicted wounds or if they stem from an older shooting event, or even if the animal was shot at after death. Look for any signs of bleeding, wound healing processes like the formation of fibrous tissue etc.! Further, despite various attempts by forensic experiments, determination of the exact shooting range is almost impossible. Especially with shotguns, due to the dispersal of the pellets after firing, the pattern, the amount and hence the density of the pellets in a carcass have been used to derive the probable shooting distance. However, since almost all shotguns comprise two barrels (that are normally both loaded during hunting), it cannot be excluded that an animal has been shot at twice or even more times in a single shooting incident. Thus, the pattern of the pellets in the carcass is no practical use when determining the shooting distance! When shooting is suspected in wildlife crime cases, it can generally be assumed that the victims were shot at larger distances. Thus, evidence like soot marks (also called stippling or staining, i.e. stains left on the hair coat/skin from the ignition process of a bullet when fired at very close range) or searing of the skin or hairs/feathers from the superheated gases that leave the muzzle, will normally be absent. Gunshot wounds In gunshot victims, the determination of entrance and exit wounds, and consequently the trajectory the bullet has travelled through the body, is of highest importance. This enables recreating the crime scene, e.g. the relative position of the victim and the shooter to each other. This is crucial under several circumstances, e.g. a suspected shooter claiming he had shot in self-defence. 60 Typically, the shape of gunshot wounds will remain relatively stable during decomposition. The entrance wound of a gunshot is more or less round with a reddish to dark (depending on age of the wound) abrasion ring and sharp margins. The diameter is approximately the size of the bullet; however, it is not possible to determine the exact calibre by measuring the wounddiameter since both the flexibility and tension of the skin may have an influence on the shape. Blood and tissue particles may be found around the entrance wound that either have been expelled during the process of the formation and collapse of the temporary wound cavity or they may have leaked from the wound after death. In thick furred animals, the entrance wound may be difficult to find and a complete skinning of the carcass may be necessary. The entrance wound may be more stellar when the skin over a superficial bone is hit with subsequent rupture of the bone. Further, a ricocheting bullet (i.e. a tumbling bullet that e.g. had hit a branch before entering the corpse) will produce an entrance wound with irregular appearance. Figure20: Entrance gunshot wound in a red deer with some blood and small amount of tissue expelled due to pressure (Source and © FIWI). 61 Exit wound are typically much larger and irregular in diameter and shape and have jagged margins. Tissue fragments (e.g. bone) are usually found in the wound. Figure 21: Exit gunshot wound in a young red deer with various tissues expelled (Source and © FIWI). In rare cases, when the whole bullet (or its fragments) is retained in the body, an exit wound can be absent. This may happen when low energy firearms like handguns, rimfire rifles and gas-powered rifles have been used. Furthermore, slugs fired from shotguns will most likely be retained in the corpse of larger animals due to their low energy. By determining the entrance and exit wounds, it is possible to reconstruct the trajectory of the projectile through the body. This is of importance since it may give hints on the orientation of the shooter and the animal, the distance of the shooter, and the ammunition used. The