Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Members of the Rhisotope Project tag rhinoceros horns with radioactive isotopes. Martin Klinenböck/IAEA
With support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a South African university has launched a pioneering project to combat the illegal wildlife trade in endangered rhinos. The project uses existing nuclear security infrastructure to safely inject radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to prevent and detect poaching.
With more than 10,000 rhinos killed by poaching in the last decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest rhino population – remains an attractive destination for criminals involved in the illegal trade in rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries reported 103 incidents of rhino poaching. To support conservation and law enforcement efforts, the University of the Witwatersrand has turned to radiation for this project.
In 2021, after two years of initial testing, Project Nosotope began to be implemented, tagging rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already installed at border crossings, seaports and airports around the world. These RPMs, which are typically used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be used to combat wildlife crime.
The IAEA’s support for the Nosotope project is part of the Agency’s critical work to strengthen global nuclear security. With millions of people and vehicles crossing borders every day, the use of RPMs – some 10,000 devices worldwide – has become a key tool for detecting unauthorized cross-border movement of nuclear and other radioactive material.
“Project Nosotope is an example of how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in innovative ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA helps countries get the most out of nuclear technology. By using existing nuclear security infrastructure in innovative ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic animals, which is on the brink of extinction.”
Last week, at an event at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in Limpopo Province, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand announced the results of a thorough safety assessment of the pilot phase of the project. Radioisotopes were injected into 20 rhinos last June. Ghent University, Belgium, compared health monitoring and cytology results in a group of 15 tagged animals with a group of five rhinos that were not injected. The tests showed that the method was non-invasive and posed no risk to the rhinos’ health.
“This is an international group of like-minded people trying to make a real difference to the poaching crisis,” explains James Larkin, director of the Radiation and Medical Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started by asking: what if radiation could protect rather than harm? What if rhino horns could be tagged so they could be tracked, and thus preventative action taken against illegal trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we are now ready to begin implementing the technology to actually protect rhinos from poachers.”
Furthermore, the success of the project opens up the possibility of using this method in the future on other endangered species.
"The technique could be adapted to protect other endangered species, such as elephants or pangolins," Larkin said.
The IAEA provides technical and financial support for these efforts through its coordinated research project "Promoting Trade Safety and Security Using Nuclear Material Detection Technologies – Detecting Contraband of Radioactive, Nuclear and Other Materials"In addition, as part of this work, the Agency assists countries in their efforts to optimize radiation detection through its minimum detectable quantity and alarm thresholds tool, which enables the detection of isotopically labeled rhino horns.
“Project Nosotope leverages the entire global nuclear security network,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to detect trafficking in rhino horn and any other contraband that may be transported with it. Commitment to nuclear security pays off in many ways.”
The original video footage and photographs can be viewed Here.
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