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In a move to protect endangered rhinos, South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand has launched an ambitious campaign to combat poaching by injecting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns.

The initiative, named the Rhisotope Project, is a joint effort involving the university’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit, nuclear energy authorities, and conservationists.

Researchers say the isotopes are completely harmless to the animals but will make the horns easily detectable by radiation scanners used by customs officials around the world.

The idea is simple: if smugglers try to transport the horn, radiation detectors at airports and borders will pick up the signal and alert authorities.

On Thursday, the team injected five rhinos with the isotopes, marking the formal beginning of what they hope will be a large-scale rollout across the country’s rhino population. The Rhisotope Project team believes that this scientific intervention could provide a much-needed edge in the fight against poaching.