In an unprecedented fusion of wildlife conservation and nuclear technology South Africa has officially launched the Rhisotope Project a global-first initiative using radioactive isotopes to deter rhino poaching. Backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the project aims to weaponize science, not for destruction but for protecting one of Earth most endangered species.
The move comes amid a worsening crisis. Over 10,000 rhinos have been slaughtered in the past decade, driven by international demand for rhino horn. In just the first three months of 2025 alone, 103 rhinos were killed, according to South Africa’s Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
To confront this, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand have developed a method to safely embed trace amounts of radioactive isotopes into rhino horns, making them detectable at international borders through existing nuclear detection systems such as radiation portal monitors at airports and seaports.
“This technology flips the script on wildlife trafficking,” said Professor James Larkin, the project’s lead and head of Radiation and Health Physics at the university. “We’re turning rhino horns into radioactive contraband instantly traceable and virtually impossible to move undetected.”
After years of testing and safety assessments, including extensive monitoring by experts from Belgium Ghent University, results showed no harm to the rhinos. In 2024 a pilot program treated 20 rhinos with conclusive findings confirming the process as both safe and non-invasive.
The Rhisotope Project officially launched in Waterberg, Limpopo Province, with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi hailing it as a “transformative” approach. “This is nuclear science serving global security and conservation,” Grossi said. “It shows how infrastructure built to combat nuclear threats can be repurposed for wildlife protection.”
Beyond rhinos the technique could revolutionize efforts to protect other vulnerable species like elephants and pangolins, opening up new frontiers in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.
According to Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security the project taps into the IAEA’s broader agenda to leverage nuclear detection tools for trade security. She called it a “novel activation” of global infrastructure for ecological defense.
With financial and technical backing from the IAEA and international research coordination underway, the Rhisotope Project now stands as a global conservation milestone merging cutting-edge science with boots-on-the-ground wildlife protection to strike back at poachers using the very systems designed to guard against nuclear threats.