Rhinos
Why it Matters?
South Africa’s Rhisotope Project has injected radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to deter poaching. The tagged horns can be detected at international borders via radiation scanners and are toxic for human use.
What You Should Know?
Global rhino populations have fallen from 500,000 in the early 20th century to just 27,000, mostly due to poaching for horns.
The Rhisotope Project was launched in South Africa to combat rhino poaching using radioactive isotope tagging.
The project is led by the University of the Witwatersrand and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The radioisotope is injected non-invasively into the rhino’s horn and does not harm the animal.
The horn tagging is less disruptive than dehorning, which involves removing the horn entirely to deter poaching.
Radioisotopes
Radioisotopes are unstable isotopes that emit radiation to attain stability.
They undergo spontaneous nuclear decay, emitting alpha, beta, or gamma radiation.
Radioisotopes can be naturally occurring (e.g., Uranium-238, Carbon-14) or man-made/artificial (e.g., Cobalt-60, Iodine-131).
They are used in medicine, agriculture, industry, archaeology, and security applications.
Carbon-14 is used in archaeological dating, while Cobalt-60 is used in cancer treatment.
Indian Rhinos
India is home to the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).
It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
They inhabit Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
They are found mainly in Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh.
Kaziranga National Park (Assam) has the highest population of Indian Rhinos.
The map below shows the distribution of Indian Rhinos.