Research to insert radioisotopes into rhino horns, to monitor movements, is now in its final stage.
It has taken 3 years, to insert low doses of nuclear in the form of radioisotopes to a pilot of 20 rhino horns.
Now lead Professor James Larkin from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit (RHPU) in collaboration with a team of experts, will closely monitor the health and vital statistics of the rhinos over a period of six months, in order to determine the viability of this approach.
If successful, the project will provide the necessary tool to detect rhino horns at international borders, harbours, airports and land-crossings.
The work is expected to expand to other wildlife species such as elephants, pangolins and flora.
This research project comes at a time when rhino poaching levels have skyrocketed to pre- 2008 figures. Close to 10, 000 rhinos were lost to poaching in South Africa, with wildlife trafficking being the third biggest organised crime globally.
Professor Lynn Morris, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits University says about this project, “this is an example of how cross-disciplinary research and innovation makes a real difference. This novel approach pioneered by Prof Larkin and his colleagues has the potential to eradicate the threat of extinction our unique wild-life species , especially in South Africa and on the continent. This is one of many projects at Wits that demonstrates research with impact, and which helps to address some of the local and global challenges of the 21st Century.”
The Rhisotope Project at Wits was set up by a small team of like-minded individuals as a South African-based conservation initiative in January 2021.
Its intention is to become a global leader in harnessing nuclear technology to protect threatened and endangered species of fauna and flora.
Picture: Rhisotope Project DVD