{"id":57997,"date":"2025-08-04T11:35:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=57997"},"modified":"2025-08-04T12:08:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:38:03","slug":"rhisotope-project-using-radioactive-isotope-injections-to-combat-rhino-poaching-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rhisotope-project-using-radioactive-isotope-injections-to-combat-rhino-poaching-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhisotope Project: Using Radioactive Isotope Injections to Combat Rhino Poaching in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Radioactive Isotope Rhino Poaching Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A South African university has launched the <\/span><b>Rhisotope Project<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an anti-poaching initiative that injects <\/span><b>radioactive isotopes into rhino horns<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to deter illegal trafficking.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The method, developed over six years by the <\/span><b>University of the Witwatersrand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with support from the <\/span><b>IAEA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is safe for rhinos and enables customs officials to detect trafficked horns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project began with <\/span><b>five rhinos treated in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and aims to scale up for mass treatment to protect South Africa&#8217;s declining rhino population.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Waterberg Biosphere Reserve<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve is located in the Bushveld district of Limpopo Province, South Africa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It functions as a water reservoir for this arid region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It comprises low mountain ranges, escarpments, and sparse soils with limited economic activity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Ecological Characteristics<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Waterberg Mountain Range is one of three major mountain ranges in the Limpopo Province.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are four main drainage rivers within the area: <\/span><b>the Lephalala, Mokolo, Matlabas and the Mogalakwena<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It represents a significant portion of Southern Africa\u2019s savannah biome.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It features seven distinct vegetation types, including Central Sandy Bushveld and Waterberg Mountain Bushveld.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reserve is home to numerous threatened species, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also includes the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, a registered Ramsar wetland site.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It contains some of South Africa\u2019s most significant San rock art sites.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Radioactive Isotopes: Overview and Uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Radioactive isotopes, or radioisotopes, are unstable forms of elements that emit radiation as they decay into more stable forms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They can occur naturally (e.g., Uranium-238, Carbon-14) or be artificially produced in reactors or accelerators (e.g., Cobalt-60, Iodine-131).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Examples of Radioactive Isotopes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Carbon-14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Used in radiocarbon dating of ancient organic materials.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Iodine-131<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Used in diagnosing and treating thyroid disorders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cobalt-60<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Applied in sterilising medical equipment and cancer radiotherapy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Technetium-99m<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Widely used in medical imaging (nuclear scans).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Uranium-235 &amp; Plutonium-239<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Fuel for nuclear reactors and weapons.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Uses of Radioactive Isotopes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Medical Applications<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Cancer treatment (radiotherapy); Diagnostic imaging (PET, SPECT scans)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Industrial Applications<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Non-destructive testing (X-ray of welds, pipelines); Sterilisation of medical equipment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agriculture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Tracing nutrient uptake in plants; Pest control through irradiation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Scientific Research<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Radiocarbon dating for archaeology; Tracer studies in biological and chemical research.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Anti-Poaching &amp; Security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Tagging wildlife parts (e.g., rhino horns in the Rhisotope Project) for tracking and detection at borders.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Radioactive Isotope Tagging Aims to Deter Rhino Poaching<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rhisotope Project uses low-dose radioactive isotopes to tag rhino horns, making them detectable by<\/span><b> radiation portal monitors (RPMs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at global border points, thereby deterring illegal trafficking.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developed by the University of the Witwatersrand with IAEA support, the method is non-invasive and harmless to rhinos, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while rendering the horns \u201cuseless\u201d and \u201cpoisonous\u201d to humans<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tests using 3D-printed rhino horns confirmed that tagged horns could be detected even inside 40-foot shipping containers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pilot phase in June injected isotopes into 20 rhinos, with cytological examinations by Ghent University finding no cellular damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This innovation is considered as a potential game-changer in combating the rhino poaching crisis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>The Poaching Crisis<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The global rhino population has plummeted from 500,000 in the early 20th century to just 27,000 today, largely due to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rampant poaching driven by demand for rhino horns in Asian traditional medicine and status symbols<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>South Africa, home to the largest rhino population<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, has lost over 10,000 rhinos in the past decade, with 103 poaching cases reported in early 2025 alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the Rhisotope Project is not a definitive solution, researchers believe it could serve as a strong deterrent without disrupting rhino behaviour, unlike dehorning, which, though effective in reducing poaching, negatively affects rhino socialisation and territory ranges.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project\u2019s success could pave the way for similar strategies to protect other endangered species like elephants and pangolins.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/rhino-poaching-radioactive-isotope-injections-10167467\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unesco.org\/en\/mab\/waterberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UNESCO<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rhisotope Project injects radioactive isotopes into rhino horns, deterring poachers through detection and making horns valueless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":58041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,1992,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-57997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-radioactive-isotope-rhino-poaching","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}