Radioactive materials being injected into live rhino horns to prevent poaching
In order to prevent rhino poaching, an attempt called 'THE RHISOTOPE PROJECT' is being made to inject radioactive isotopes into the horns, making them non-toxic to rhinos but toxic to humans, reducing their value and making them easier to detect if they are poached.
Rhisotope – Saving Rhinos with Science
2024-06 - A novel way to save Rhinos - Wits University
World First: Scientists Make Live Rhino Horns Radioactive to Fight Poaching in South Africa : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/world-first-scientists-make-live-rhino-horns-radioactive-to-fight-poaching-in-south-africa
WATCH | A novel way to save rhinos - YouTube
Below is an official video from The Rhisotope Project, which provides a clear explanation of what they are doing.
The Rhisotope Project - YouTube
Project co-founder Professor James Larkin is head of the Radiation Health Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and a former chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) International Nuclear Security Education Network.
Rhinos are poached because their horns are valuable as ingredients in traditional medicines and for arts and crafts, and can be exported at high prices. So Professor Larkin and his team looked for a way to save rhinos by 'devaluing rhino horns.'
The solution they came up with was to inject radioactive material into the antlers, which would make them easier to track and harder to deal with, as possessing 'radioactive material' is a serious offence against the state in South Africa.
The project is also working with Eastern Cape game reserve organisations to study the effects of injecting radioactive material into rhino horns.
Professor Larkin and his team plan to rescue 3,000 rhinos per year in the future.
Conservation efforts are also being expanded to include elephants, pangolins and other flora and fauna.
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