\n<\/p>\n
South African scientists have launched an anti-poaching campaign in which rhino’s horns will be injected with a radioactive material.<\/p>\n
The group, from the University of the Witwatersrand, said the process is harmless to rhinos but will allow customs officers to detect smuggled horns as they’re transported across the world.<\/p>\n
South Africa has the largest rhino population in the world, and hundreds of the animals are poached there every year.<\/p>\n
The university’s venture, called the Rhisotope Project, was launched on Friday after six years of research and testing.<\/p>\n
“Our goal is to deploy the Rhisotope technology at scale to help protect one of Africa’s most iconic and threatened species,” said Jessica Babich, head of the Rhisotope Project.<\/p>\n
“By doing so, we safeguard not just rhinos but a vital part of our natural heritage.”<\/p>\n
Tests conducted in the pilot study, which involved 20 rhinos, confirmed that the radioactive material was not harmful to the animals.<\/p>\n
“We have demonstrated, beyond scientific doubt, that the process is completely safe for the animal and effective in making the horn detectable through international customs nuclear security systems,” said James Larkin a professor at Wits University who is also part of the project.<\/p>\n
The Wits University researchers, who collaborated with the International Atomic Energy Agency, found horns could even be detected inside full 40-foot (six-metre) shipping containers.<\/p>\n
Each year since 2021, more than 400 rhinos have been poached in South Africa, says conservation charity Save the Rhino.<\/p>\n
The horns of African rhinos are often exported to Asian markets were they are used in traditional medicine and also seen as a status symbol.<\/p>\n
White rhinos are considered threatened, while black rhinos are critically endangered.<\/p>\n