by South Africa has launched an innovative anti-poaching campaign that injects radioactive isotopes rhino horns to prevent illegal trade.
The University of the Witwatersrand initiated the project alongside nuclear energy and conservationists on Thursday, with five rhinos received the harmless isotopes. These are designed in such a way that they are detectable by customs agents. The university hopes that this marks the beginning of a mass injection program for the declining Rhino population of the country.
Last year, about 20 rhinos were injected in a sanctuary as part of the first exams that paved the way for the start on Thursday. The radioactive isotopes, even at low levels, can be recorded by radiation detectors at airports and borders, which can lead to the arrest of poachers and human dealers.
Professor James Larkin injects the horn of a rhino with radioactive isotopes in an Rhino orphan’s house in Mokopane, South Africa, Thursday, July 31, 2025 (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press reserved.)
Researchers of Witwatersrand’s radiation and health physics unit say that tests that were carried out in the entire pilot study have confirmed that the radioactive material for the animals was not harmful.
“We have shown that the process for the animal is completely safe and that the horn is recognizable by international customs nuclear security systems,” said James Larkin, Chief Scientific Officer of the Rhisotope project.
“Even a single horn with significantly lower radioactivity than in practice successfully triggered alarms in radiation detectors,” said Larkin.
The tests also confirmed that individual horns could be recognized in full 40-foot shipping containers, he said.
The International Union for Nature Conservation, an international nature conservation authority, estimates that the global Rhino population was around 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, but due to the continuing demand for rhino horns on the black market, has now dropped to around 27,000.
South Africa has the largest rhinos population with an estimated 16,000, but the country has a high degree of poaching, with around 500 rhinos being killed for their horns every year.
Private and public Rhino owners and nature conservation authorities were asked to approach the university of injecting their rhinos.
