Photo: University of the Witwatersrand.
To protect rhinos and scare off poachers, researchers add radioisotopes to a rhino horn at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in South Africa.
Who would think of protecting endangered rhinos by injecting something radioactive into their horns? Researchers in Africa, that’s who.
YaleEnvironment360 reports that “South African researchers have inserted radioactive material into the horns of 20 live rhinos. Their goal: to track horns from rhinos that were hunted illegally.
“Researchers say radioisotopes added to horns would be picked up by radiation detectors at airports, harbors, and border crossings, and so would send up a red flag. There are more than 11,000 such detectors at ports of entry around the globe, part of a vast infrastructure aimed at stemming the flow of illicit nuclear material. And the thousands of security personnel devoted to operating these detectors far outnumber officials working to stem the illegal wildlife trade.
“ ‘Ultimately, the aim is to try to devalue rhinoceros horn in the eyes of the end users, while at the same time making the horns easier to detect as they are being smuggled across borders,’ said project lead James Larkin, of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
“ ‘Every 20 hours in South Africa a rhino dies for its horn. These poached horns are then trafficked across the world and used for traditional medicines, or as status symbols,’ Larkin said. ‘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.’ “
The University of the Witwatersrand website adds: “These radioisotopes will provide an affordable, safe and easily applicable method to create long-lasting and detectable horn markers that cause no harm to the animals and environment. At a later stage, the work will expand to elephants, pangolins and other fauna and flora. …
“Starting on Monday, 24 June 2004, Professor Larkin and his team carefully sedated the 20 rhinos and drilled a small hole into each of their horns to insert the non-toxic radioisotopes. The rhinos were then released under the care of a highly qualified crew that will monitor the animals on a 24-hour basis for the next six months. ‘Each insertion was closely monitored by expert veterinarians and extreme care was taken to prevent any harm to the animals,’ says 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.’
“The development and application of the Rhisotope Project nuclear technology has the capacity to help deter poaching, increase the detection capabilities of smuggled horns, increase prosecution success, reveal smuggling routes and deter end-user markets.
“Rhino poaching reached crisis levels since 2008 where close to 10 000 rhinos were lost to poaching in South Africa, with wildlife trafficking being the third biggest organized crime globally.
“Professor Lynn Morris, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits University says: ‘This is an example of how cross-disciplinary research and innovation makes a real difference. This novel approach pioneered by Prof Larkin and his colleagues has the potential to eradicate the threat of extinction our unique wild-life species, especially in South Africa and on the continent. This is one of many projects at Wits that demonstrates research with impact, and which helps to address some of the local and global challenges of the 21st Century.’
“The Rhisotope Project at Wits was set up by a small team of likeminded individuals as a South African-based conservation initiative in January 2021 with the intention of becoming a global leader in harnessing nuclear technology to protect threatened and endangered species of fauna and flora as well as communities of people.
“Aside from developing a solution to combat the illicit trade and trafficking of wildlife products, the Rhisotope Project seeks to provide education and social upliftment to empower people and local communities. A special focus is aimed at uplifting the girls and women of rural communities, who are often the backbone of these communities in the remote areas where endangered species are found and are the greatest components of success in changing the hearts and minds of local communities thereby creating rhino ambassadors and champions.”
More at Yale e360, here, and at the university’s website, here.
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