Wits University and IAEA's innovative nuclear project aims to protect rhinos from poaching
A groundbreaking effort to tackle rhino poaching has seen Wits University working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to insert radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to deter and detect poaching activities.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment reported 103 rhinos poached.
In a statement on its website, Wits University said the Rhisotope Project aims to create a powerful deterrent for traffickers.
“After six years of intensive research and testing, the Rhisotope Project has officially reached operational status – where rhinos will effectively be protected through nuclear technology.”
The university said six months ago, low levels of radioactive material were embedded into the horns of 20 rhinos living in the UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere. Experimental results on the blood tests of the animals, as well as veterinary inspections have confirmed that the rhinos are unharmed by the radioisotope levels used.
“We have demonstrated, beyond scientific doubt, that the process is completely safe for the animal and effective in making the horn detectable through international customs nuclear security systems,” said Wits University Professor James Larkin who is also the Chief Scientific Officer of the Rhisotope Project.
To test the system’s detection capability, researchers used 3D-printed rhino horns with identical shielding properties to real keratin (the organic material of which rhino horn is made).
“We simulated transport scenarios with the 3D-printed horns on carry-on luggage, air cargo shipments and priority parcel delivery systems and in each case, even a single horn with significantly lower levels of radioactivity than what will be used in practice successfully triggered alarms in radiation detectors,” said Larkin.
The tests also confirmed that individual horns could be detected inside full 40-foot shipping containers.
The IAEA said its support to the Rhisotope Project leverages its central role in strengthening the global nuclear security framework.
“The Rhisotope Project shows how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in new ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in a statement on its website.
“The IAEA is supporting countries to maximize the benefits of nuclear. By using already installed nuclear security infrastructure in novel ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered species.”