Scientists in South Africa are making rhino horns radioactive to fight poaching

A South African university has launched the Rhisotope Project, an anti-poaching initiative that injects rhino horns with harmless radioactive isotopes to make them detectable at airports and borders. Led by the University of the Witwatersrand in collaboration with nuclear experts and conservationists, the project aims to deter poaching by enabling authorities to track and intercept trafficked horns. Early trials confirmed the process is safe for rhinos and effective in triggering radiation detectors, even inside shipping containers, NPR has reported. With South Africa home to the majority of the world’s remaining 27,000 rhinos, the university is calling on park owners and conservation authorities to adopt the technique.