South African Scientists, University of Witwatersrand, Use Radioactive Material in Rhisotope Project to Deter Rhino Poaching

Jun 26, 2024, 09:00 PM

South African scientists have initiated a project injecting radioactive material into live rhino horns to deter poaching. The University of Witwatersrand implanted radioisotopes into 20 adolescent rhinos, aiming to make horns easier to detect at border posts and render them useless for human consumption. The innovative effort, known as the Rhisotope project, seeks to curb poaching by setting off alarms designed for nuclear bomb detection. The project's goal is to protect rhinos by making their horns undesirable to poachers.