Rhino horns injected with radioactive material in mission aimed at reducing poaching in South Africa

South African scientists injected radioactive material into the horns of live rhinos on Tuesday in a pioneering mission to stop poaching to make them easier to spot at border checkpoints.

The country is home to most of the rhinos in the region and is thus a hot spot for poaching due to demand from Asia, where the horns are used in traditional medicines for therapeutic effects.

At the Limpopo Rhino Orphanage in the Waterberg region in the country’s north-east, the thick-skinned herbivores graze in the low-lying savanna.

James Larkin, director of the Radiation and Fitness Physics Unit at the College of the Witwatersrand, who led the initiative, informed AFP that he had implanted “two tiny little radioactive chips in the horn” as he studied radioisotopes on one of the horns of the largest animal. Imposed.

Nithaya Chetty, lecturer and dean of science at the same college, said the radioactive material would “render the horn useless…essentially poisonous for human consumption.”

The dusty rhinoceros, which was ecstatic and frolicking in the garden, felt virtually no pain, Larkin said, adding that the dose of radioactive material was so low that it could not affect the animal’s health or condition. . anyhow.

In February the State Ministry reported that despite government efforts to crack down on the illegal industry, 499 mammoths were killed in 2023, mostly on state-run grounds. This represents an 11% increase compared to 2022 figures.

Twenty surviving rhinos are to be part of a pilot “Rhysotope” mission, in which they will be given a dose “strong enough to set off detectors installed globally” at global border checkpoints that had previously been installed. Larkin noted, thwart nuclear terrorism.

Border brokers often have hand-held radiation detectors that can catch illegal items, the scientists said, in addition to hundreds of radiation detectors installed at ports and airports.

“Best idea I’ve ever heard”

According to orphanage founder Ari Van Deventer, efforts including dehorning the rhinos and poisoning the horns have failed to discourage poachers.

The conservationist noted, “Maybe this is the thing that will stop the poaching.” “This is the best idea I’ve ever heard.”

Wildebeest, warthogs and giraffes roamed the vast conservation block as a large number of team members carried out a decorative process on another rhinoceros.

Larkin carefully drilled a small hollow hole in the horn and then hammered the radioisotope inside.

According to an estimate by the Global Rhino Foundation, there are about 15,000 rhinos living in South Africa.

The mission’s COO, Jessica Babich, said the extreme segment of the mission will assure care for the animals following “appropriate scientific protocols and ethical protocols.” Staff will take follow-up blood samples to ensure that the rhinos are successfully protected.

The material must be stored in the horns for five years, which Larkin said is a cheaper method than removing the horns every 18 months as the animal’s horns regrow.

Why are rhino horns poached?

The increasing demand for rhino horns has given rise to an illegal market. In parts of Asia, the horns were believed to have unproven, strong medicinal properties and at one time were even more expensive. cocaine in vietnam,

Although horns do regrow, hunters kill rhinos by blasting them rather than stunning them to shorten their horns. In response, a number of actions were initiated to thwart poaching, including relocating rhinos to other parts of Africa to put them out of reach of poachers and safely removing rhino horns so that they are no longer targeted. Be.

During the coronavirus pandemic, rhino poaching increased across Africa as a lack of investment led to a lack of protection among conservation subjects.

Earlier this hour, the government in Indonesia announced Six suspected of poaching was arrested, accused of being part of a community that detonated homemade firearms to obtain the horns of more than two critically endangered Javan rhinoceros since 2018.

Finally, a Malaysian man known as the “Godfather” purchased huge quantities of dark rhinoceros and white rhinoceros horns for an invisible supply. Sentenced For some time and for some time in an American prison.

Alex Sundby contributed to this document.