Rhinos In South Africa Are Being Injected With Radioactive Isotopes In Their Horns To Deter Poaching

Gunter - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual rhino
Gunter - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual rhino

The horns of live rhinoceroses in South Africa are being injected with non-toxic radioactive isotopes to deter poaching.

Radioactive rhino horns are unfit for human consumption, so consumer demand will decrease, and poachers will be less likely to hunt rhinos.

The injections are part of the Rhisotope Project, a South African organization dedicated to protecting rhinos.

The program has been in progress for several years to fight back against poachers. They often smuggle rhino horns out of the country, which are then used in alternative medicine treatments.

The incorporation of radioactive atoms into the rhinos’ horns will make them easier to track at international border crossings, according to James Larkin, the project leader and a professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. The radioisotopes can be identified with radiation-detection technology.

Most major airports and other ports of entry have the technology to detect radioactive material as a way to protect them from nuclear weapons.

If anyone tried to smuggle radioactive horns, they would trigger alarms, and police would respond immediately.

The University of Witwatersrand, Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, and the Rhisotope Project are working together to complete the project. Low doses of radioisotopes are being drilled into the horns of 20 sedated rhinos.

For the next six months, their health will be carefully scrutinized to make certain that the radioactive material does not harm them.

Gunter – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual rhino

“Each insertion was closely monitored by expert veterinarians, and extreme care was taken to prevent any harm to the animals,” said Larkin. “Over months of research and testing, we have also ensured that the inserted radioisotopes hold no health or any other risk for the animals or those who care for them.”

To determine what level of radioactive material would be safe for a rhino, Larkin and collaborators used different approaches during their investigations.

A detailed computational model of a rhino’s head was created, and the potential doses of radiation were calculated.

Then, they applied their findings to 20 real rhinos at The Rhino Orphanage in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

If the program is successful, elephants, pangolins, and other commonly poached animals and plants may be included as well. The goal is to eliminate these species from the black market and improve wildlife conservation.

Rhinos, in particular, are crucial to their ecosystem. They consume large amounts of vegetation, helping to shape the African landscape.

The poaching of rhinos is not just a danger to the species itself, but it also is a threat to the environment and culture of South Africa.

“Every 20 hours in South Africa, a rhino dies for its horn,” Larkin said. “These poached horns are then trafficked across the world and used for traditional medicines or as status symbols. This has led to their horns currently being the most valuable false commodity in the black-market trade, with a higher value even than gold, platinum, diamonds, and cocaine.”

According to the International Rhino Foundation, 499 rhinos were killed in South Africa last year. It is estimated that only 16,800 white rhinos and 6,500 black rhinos are still living. South Africa is home to the majority of these rhinos.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan
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