South Africa Rhisotope Project Launched

The University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa launched the Rhisotope Project, an anti-poaching campaign involving the injection of radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. This initiative, in collaboration with nuclear energy officials and conservationists, aims to make poached horns detectable by international customs nuclear security systems, thereby deterring traffickers. Initial trials in the previous year involved 20 rhinos, and the current launch saw five rhinos injected. Researchers, including James Larkin, chief scientific officer of the Rhisotope Project, have confirmed the process is safe for the animals and effective for detection, even inside shipping containers. South Africa, home to the largest rhino population, faces significant poaching challenges, with approximately 500 rhinos killed annually. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates a drastic decline in the global rhino population, from 500,000 to 27,000. The university is urging private wildlife park owners and national conservation authorities to participate in this mass injection program.