A South African university has launched an innovative anti-poaching campaign by injecting the horns of rhinos with radioactive isotopes. The aim is to make the horns detectable through international customs nuclear security systems, which can help curb poaching.
According to researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit, the process is safe for the animals and effective in making the horn detectable by radiation detectors. Tests conducted during initial trials confirmed that the radioactive material was not harmful to the rhinos.
The initiative follows a pilot study last year where about 20 rhinos at a sanctuary were injected with isotopes. This year’s mass injection targets the declining rhino population, with an estimated 500 rhinos killed for their horns every year in South Africa alone. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that the global rhino population has declined from around 500,000 to around 27,000 due to poaching.
The university is urging private and public rhino owners and conservation authorities to approach them to have their rhinos injected with the radioactive isotopes. This campaign aims to reduce poaching by making it easier for customs agents to detect and track down rhino horn traffickers.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/south-africa-starts-injecting-rhino-horns-radioactive-material-124251419