Researchers add radioisotopes to a rhino horn at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in South Africa. University of the Witwatersrand
South African researchers have inserted radioactive material into the horns of 20 live rhinos. Their goal: to track horns from rhinos that were hunted illegally.
Researchers say radioisotopes added to horns would be picked up by radiation detectors at airports, harbors, and border crossings, and so would send up a red flag. There are more than 11,000 such detectors at ports of entry around the globe, part of a vast infrastructure aimed at stemming the flow of illicit nuclear material. And the thousands of security personnel devoted to operating these detectors far outnumber officials working to stem the illegal wildlife trade.
“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,” said project lead James Larkin, of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
“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,” Larkin said. “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.”
For the next six months, veterinarians will monitor the rhinos around the clock at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, ensuring the radioisotopes cause no harm. Eventually, researchers plan to test the use of radioisotopes on elephants, pangolins, and other frequently trafficked animals.
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