Rhisotope Project: Radioactive Idea to Help Save Rhinos
- Editor OGN Daily
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
A South African university has launched an anti-poaching campaign by injecting the horns of rhinos with harmless radioactive isotopes.
Under the collaborative project involving the University of the Witwatersrand, nuclear energy officials and conservationists, five rhinos were injected in what the university hopes will be the start of a mass injection of the declining rhino population. They’re calling it the Rhisotope Project.
“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, chief scientific officer at the Rhisotope Project.
Last year, about 20 rhinos at a sanctuary were injected with isotopes in trials that paved the way for the recent launch of the project. The radioactive isotopes even at low levels can be recognized by radiation detectors at airports and borders, leading to the arrest of poachers and traffickers. Tests also found that horns could be detected inside full 40-foot shipping containers.
Rhino poaching is being driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam. Rhino horn is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but increasingly common is its use as a status symbol to display success and wealth, says Save The Rhino. Rhino horns are made of keratin and are similar in structure to horses’ hooves, turtle beaks, and cockatoo bills. According to traditional Chinese texts, such as Li Shih-chen’s 1597 medical text Pen Ts’ ao Kang Mu, rhino horn has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years and is used to treat fever, rheumatism, gout, and other disorders. While it is commonly believed to be prescribed as an aphrodisiac, this is not the case. When used, the horn is shaved or ground into a powder, before being dissolved in boiling water and consumed.
South Africa has the world's largest population of rhinos with an estimated 16,000 but the country experiences high levels of poaching with about 500 rhinos killed for their horns every year.
The university has urged private wildlife park owners and national conservation authorities to have their rhinos injected.
