In South Africa, scientists have started injecting very small amounts of radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The amount is too low to harm the animal, but it’s enough to be detected by radiation scanners at airports and border crossings.
The idea is to make the horns useless to poachers and smugglers. If someone tries to sell or transport a horn, it will set off alarms just like smuggled nuclear material. The radioactivity also makes the horn unsafe for people to use in traditional medicine or as a luxury item, which reduces demand.
This method builds on past anti-poaching efforts, such as dyeing or poisoning horns, but it takes advantage of global systems already in place to detect radioactive substances. It makes trafficking rhino horns much riskier and easier to catch.
While it won’t completely stop poaching, it adds another strong layer of protection. By making horns dangerous for buyers and difficult to move across borders, the hope is to give rhinos a better chance of surviving in the wild.
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