With rhino populations dwindling — now down to 27,000 globally — and South Africa losing about 500 rhinos a year to poaching, researchers hope this high-tech deterrent will tilt the odds in favor of conservation.

Johannesburg

South African scientists have introduced a new anti-poaching measure by injecting rhino horns with small amounts of radioactive material. This initiative, which began with five rhinos, is designed to make the horns easily detectable at border crossings using existing radiation detectors, thereby hindering illegal trafficking.

Possession of radioactive material is a serious crime in South Africa, so poachers caught with treated horns could face harsher penalties in addition to wildlife trafficking charges. The procedure is also less invasive and more cost-effective than traditional dehorning, requiring treatment only once every five years. With rhino populations declining and poaching rates high, researchers hope this method will strengthen conservation efforts.

Rhino horns injected with radioactive material to combat poaching

In a bold move to combat poaching, South African scientists have begun injecting rhino wounds with small amounts of radioactive material, a method they say is harmless to the animals but could be a game-changer in stopping illegal trafficking. The research project launched the initiative Thursday, injecting five rhinos as part of a wider roll-out. We've developed the use of radioisotopes to devalue rhino horns, so you're using radioactive material, small quantities of it, inserted into the horn of a rhino, which is like then putting a massive bright light into the horn that no one can turn off. It stays there and as it goes across borders the detectors are in place that can pick it up and it's then, you know, because as we said earlier, you know, those detectors have been installed for other reasons but just as capable of picking up the rhino horn as they are smuggled nuclear material. In South Africa, possession of radioactive material is considered a crime against the state, meaning poachers could face even harsher penalties in addition to wildlife trafficking charges. The situation is, in South Africa, if you're caught in possession of radioactive material, it's defined as a crime against the state, so theoretically it can open up the possibility of the person being charged with that sort of offence as well as wildlife trafficking offences, so you're just kind of ramping up the reward-risk ratio in the favour of us. Unlike traditional dehorning, which must be repeated, over 18 to 24 months, the radioactive procedure needs to be done only once every five years. Whilst dehorning needs to be done every 18 to 24 months, this only needs to be done every five years and also because the procedure is so quick and simple, firstly, the animal is under less stress and duress, secondly, it actually costs much less in terms of veterinary costs and drugs, and then because you only need to treat every five years, it ultimately saves money for the rhino owners because they're so brave looking after these animals and continuing to be their custodians and reserves, etc. So we're trying to help and just up the ante a bit in the anti-poaching game. With rhino population dwindling, now down to 27,000 globally, and South Africa losing about 500 rhinos a year to poaching, researchers hope this high-tech deterrent would tilt the odds in favour of conservation.

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Breakdown