Rhinos in Africa were armed with radioactive horns: will be protected from poachers (video)

South African scientists have launched an innovative project aimed at combating poaching - rhinos provided radioactive "protection". In South Africa, the vast majority of rhinos of the planet lives, so this place is a "hot spot" for poaching caused by the demand of Asia, where animal horns are used in traditional medicine - allegedly they have a therapeutic effect, Science Alert writes.

On June 25, South African scientists introduced radioactive material into the horns of living rhinos - this marked the start of the innovative project aimed at combating poaching. Researchers believe that this method will make it easier to detect animals in border posts. In focus. Technology has appeared its Telegram channel.

Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intricate news from the world of science! The project was launched in a Limpopo rhino shelter near Waterberg in the northeast of the country. According to the Director of the Department of Radiation and Medical Physics of the University of Witvatersrand James Larkin, they inserted "two tiny radioactive chips" into the horns of animals.

To do this, Larkin with his colleagues drilled a small hole in the corner, and then placed a radioisotope in it, then sprayed 11,000 micro -points all over the horn. After that, scientists will take the blood of animals to ensure that rhinos are effectively protected. The material is expected to last about 18 months, and therefore its use will be cheaper than animal disinfection every 18 months.

According to the study co -author, Professor Nita Chetty, radioactive material in rhinos' horns will, in fact, make them unnecessary and poisonous to eat, and therefore the demand for them should be reduced. The authors of the study point out that the rhinos were asleep and then implanted by microchips - as a result, the animals did not feel pain or other discomfort.

The dose of radioactive material is incredibly low and therefore does not have any effects on the health of the animal or the environment. The local Ministry of the Environment shows that, despite all the efforts of the Government to combat poaching and illegal trade, 499 rhinos were killed in 2023, which is 11% more than in 2022. It is assumed that two dozen rhinos will be part of a pilot project called Rhisotope.

They will be given a dose that is strong enough for the detectors installed around the perimeter of the shelter. At the same time, it is negligible enough to harm the animals and the environment. It should be noted that the horns of the rhino are popular in the black market, where the price of weight is not inferior to the price of gold or cocaine. Earlier, scientists have already tried other strategies, but they had no effect, now scientists rely on a new project.