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Wits University and IAEA's Innovative Nuclear Project Aims to Protect Rhinos From Poaching
SOUTH AFRICA, AUG 3 – The Rhisotope Project injects radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to deter poaching by making horns detectable and harmful to humans, addressing over 10,000 rhino losses in South Africa.
- On July 31, 2024, the University of the Witwatersrand in Mokopane, South Africa, initiated the Rhisotope Project, a novel anti-poaching effort involving the introduction of traceable radioactive markers into the horns of rhinos.
- The project follows six years of research and pilot injections in 20 rhinos, aiming to make horns traceable and reduce illegal trafficking using nuclear detection technology.
- Scientists confirmed the radioactive material is safe for rhinos and offspring, and radiation detectors can identify treated horns even within shipping containers at borders.
- James Larkin, the project’s chief scientific officer, stated that radiation detectors were able to detect an individual horn treated with radioactivity at doses well below those intended for actual use, demonstrating the method’s reliability.
- The project plans full deployment by August 2025, seeking to deter poachers and protect Africa’s threatened rhino populations through innovative use of nuclear science.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Conservation: South African scientists want to use a radioactive marker in the horns of wild rhinos to combat the illegal trade in horns…
Researchers at Wits University in Johannesburg have launched a new project to combat poaching. They are injecting radioactive substances into rhino horns. This substance allows the horns to be detected by customs officers if poachers attempt to smuggle them out of the country. After six years of intensive testing, the project, called the Rhisotope Project, is now operational. "Rhinoceros are effectively protected through the use of nuclear techn…
Richmond Times-Dispatch
News & RecordScientists fight poaching with radioactive rhinos
MOKOPANE, South Africa — A South African university launched an anti-poaching campaign Thursday to inject the horns of rhinos with radioactive isotopes that it says are harmless for the animals but can be detected by customs agents.
South African scientists have launched an anti-poaching campaign that will inject a radioactive substance into the horns of rhinos. The move, they say, will not harm the animals but will allow customs officers at airports to detect smugglers.
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