Why South Africa is injecting Rhino horns with radioactive isotopes
The new tool to stop rhino poaching in South Africa
- South Africa has launched an innovative anti-poaching campaign, injecting rhino horns with harmless radioactive isotopes to deter illegal trafficking.
- The project, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, nuclear energy officials, and conservationists, aims to make trafficked horns detectable by customs agents using radiation detectors at airports and borders.
- Initial trials confirmed the process is completely safe for the animals and effective, with even low levels of radioactivity successfully triggering alarms in detection systems.
- The global rhino population has significantly declined to around 27,000, with South Africa, home to an estimated 16,000 rhinos, losing approximately 500 annually to poaching.
- Authorities are urging private and public rhino owners to participate in what is hoped to become a mass injection programme to protect the nation's rhinos.