Due to the rising demand for rhino horns in Asia, South Africa, which hosts the majority of the world's rhinos, has become a critical battleground against poaching. Traditional medicine values these horns for their purported medicinal properties. However, a novel strategy has emerged: incorporating radioactive material into rhino horns to render them unsuitable for human consumption.
James Larkin, director of the University of the Witwatersrand’s radiation and health physics unit, is leading this innovative project. "I put two tiny radioactive chips in the horn," Larkin explained to AFP as he administered the radioisotopes to one of the large animals.
This groundbreaking project aims to make rhino horns "essentially poisonous for human consumption," according to the university's dean of science, Professor Nithaya Chetty. Despite the extreme nature of the process, Larkin assured that the rhino’s health and the environment would remain unaffected by the minute amount of radioactive particles used. The tranquilized rhino experienced no pain while lying on the ground.
In February, South Africa's environment ministry reported that 499 rhinos were killed in 2023, an 11% increase from 2022, despite extensive government efforts to curb the illegal trade. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions like the Rhisotope project, which involves administering radioactive material to 20 living rhinos. Wearing a green hat and khaki shirt, Larkin expressed his confidence in the project, noting that the dose is "strong enough to set off detectors installed globally" at international border posts, originally intended to prevent nuclear terrorism.
With handheld radiation detectors, border agents can now identify illegal rhino horns. Numerous radiation detectors, already in place at thousands of ports and airports worldwide, bolster these efforts.
On the black market, rhino horns are as valuable as cocaine and gold. Arrie Van Deventer, founder of a rhino orphanage, mentioned that traditional methods like dehorning and poisoning horns have failed to deter poachers. "Maybe this is the thing that will stop poaching," he said, describing the new approach as "the best idea I’ve ever heard."
As wildebeest, warthogs, and giraffes roamed the conservation area, over a dozen team members meticulously performed the delicate procedure on another rhino. Larkin drilled a small hole into the horn, inserted the radioisotope, and finished by spraying 11,000 microdots over the horn.
With approximately 15,000 rhinos in South Africa, the stakes are high. The project's final phase involves rigorous aftercare, following "proper scientific protocol and ethical protocol," said the project’s COO, Jessica Babich.
The team will collect follow-up blood samples to ensure the rhinos remain effectively protected.
Larkin emphasized the long-term benefits of this method, highlighting that it would be more cost-effective than dehorning every 18 months, as the radioactive material would last on the horn for five years. This innovative approach has the potential to significantly reduce poaching and safeguard one of the planet’s most iconic species.