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South African scientists on Tuesday injected a radioactive substance into the horns of live rhinos in an effort to deter poaching or make it easier to detect rhino horns at border crossings.
South Africa is home to most of the world’s rhinos, so there is a lot of poaching going on there.
The biggest demand comes from Asia, where the horns are used in traditional medicine.
James Larkin, head of the radiation department at the University of the Witwatersrand, who is leading the initiative, told AFP that during the injection of radioisotopes into the horns, he inserted two small radioactive chips. index.
“The horns are useless because they contain radioactive material which is actually toxic to humans,” said Nitaia Chetty of the University of the Witwatersrand.
Larkin said the rhinos did not feel any pain during the injection of the radioactive material, and the dose of radiation was so low that it would not affect the health of the animals or the environment in any way.
In February, the environment ministry announced that despite efforts to combat poaching, 499 rhinos were killed for their horns in 2023. This was an 11% increase compared to the 2022 figure.
In a pilot project, scientists injected twenty rhinos with a radioactive substance in doses high enough to trigger detectors installed at international border crossings around the world.
The detectors were originally installed to protect against nuclear terrorism, but now have an additional purpose.
Rhino horns are highly sought after on the black market, with their price per pound being measured in gold.
Arrie Van Deventeru, founder of the Limpopo Rhino Orphanage, thought it was the best thing he had ever heard.
“Maybe this will stop poaching,” he said.
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