Wildlife researchers in South Africa have pioneered an innovative approach to protect rhinos from poaching by harnessing technology used to prevent nuclear smuggling and adapted it to track rhino horns.
By injecting radioactive isotopes into the horns of 20 rhinos, these researchers aim to aid authorities in detecting and confiscating the horns at national borders, ports, and airports, ultimately leading to the arrest of poachers and traffickers.
The process involves tranquilising the animal and carefully inserting the nuclear material into the horn under the guidance of both veterinary and nuclear experts.
Staff at the University of the Witwatersrand ‘s Radiation and Health Physics Unit have now injected 20 live rhinos with these isotopes and say the process can be replicated to save other wild species vulnerable to poaching, including elephants and pangolins.
‘We are doing this because it makes it significantly easier to intercept these horns as they are being trafficked over international borders, because there is a global network of radiation monitors that have been designed to prevent nuclear terrorism,’ said Professor James Larkin, who heads the project.
‘There are about 11,000 installed radiation monitors in airports, harbours and border crossings and this means that a shipment will have a greater risk of being detected.’
Rhino Horn Hotspot
According to figures by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the global rhino population stood at around 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. It now stands at around 27,000 due to continued demand for rhino horns on the black market.
South Africa has the largest population of rhinos with an estimated 16,000, making it a hotspot with over 500 rhinos killed yearly.
Larkin said: ‘Every 20 hours in South Africa a rhino dies for its horn. These poached horns are then trafficked across the world and used for traditional medicines, or as status symbols.
‘This has led to their horns currently being the most valuable false commodity in the black-market trade, with a higher value even than gold, platinum, diamonds and cocaine. Sadly, rhino horns play a large role in funding a wide variety of criminal activities globally.
‘Ultimately, the aim is to try to devalue rhinoceros horn in the eyes of the end users, while at the same time making the horns easier to detect as they are being smuggled across borders.’
Starting on Monday, 24 June Larkin and his team carefully sedated the rhinos and drilled a small hole into each of their horns to insert the non-toxic radioisotopes.
The rhinos were then released under the care of a highly qualified crew that will monitor the animals on a 24-hour basis for the next six months.
‘Each insertion was closely monitored by expert veterinarians and extreme care was taken to prevent any harm to the animals,’ said Larkin. ‘Over months of research and testing we have also ensured that the inserted radioisotopes hold no health or any other risk for the animals or those who care for them.’
While the idea has received support from some in the industry, others have doubted its effectiveness.
Pelham Jones, chairperson of the Private Rhino Owners Association, is among the critics of the proposed method and doubts that it would effectively deter poachers and traffickers.
‘They bypass the border crossings because they know that is the area of the highest risk of confiscation or interception,’ he said.
You can watch more about this novel way of saving rhinos here.