Interesting strategy for tracking/monitoring Rhino horn, in an attempt to curb poaching.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyvn3264q01o

Rhino horns turned radioactive to fight poachers in South Africa

South African scientists have launched an anti-poaching campaign in which rhino's horns will be injected with a radioactive material.

The group, from the University of the Witwatersrand, said the process is harmless to rhinos but will allow customs officers to detect smuggled horns as they're transported across the world.

South Africa has the largest rhino population in the world, and hundreds of the animals are poached there every year.

The university's venture, called the Rhisotope Project, cost around £220,000 ($290,000) and involved six years of research and testing.

"At least one animal a day is still being poached," James Larkin, a Wits University professor involved in the project, told the BBC.

"I think the figures are only going to go one way if we don't watch out.... this is a significant tool to help reduce the numbers of poaching, because we're proactive rather than being reactive."

Prof Larkin added that the pilot study, which involved 20 rhinos, confirmed that the radioactive material was "completely safe" for the animals.

Jessica Babich, head of the Rhisotope Project, said: "Our goal is to deploy the Rhisotope technology at scale to help protect one of Africa's most iconic and threatened species."

"By doing so, we safeguard not just rhinos but a vital part of our natural heritage."

The Wits University researchers, who collaborated with the International Atomic Energy Agency, found that horns could even be detected inside full 40-foot (six-metre) shipping containers.

Each year since 2021, more than 400 rhinos have been poached in South Africa, says conservation charity Save the Rhino.

The horns of African rhinos are often exported to Asian markets were they are used in traditional medicine and also seen as a status symbol.

White rhinos are considered threatened, while black rhinos are critically endangered.

In addition to the radioactive material, let's consider some poisons that won't affect the rhinos. If rhino horn kills the purchasers, I suspect it would hurt the market. I've been saying this for years.

Make legal to sell.

End of story!

This whole ban is just plain stupid.

It is doing nothing to conservation.

Let them breed them, and sell them.

Just like any other animals.

How about they just make synthetic rhino horn. Make it outta a grey Viagra and sell it for a 1/4 the price of the poached horn.

also think Lavaca's idea bears some consideration for implementation.

Also Seed's make it legal to sell would allow the farmer to trim the horn back and make the rhino horn a renewable resource.

Rhinos and lions are animals.

If it wasn’t for those South African farmers we might not have many left.

Why are we treating them any different to other farmed animals??

I still say they should put the same radioactive poison in the horn that the Russians use for selective assassinations. I believe it is polonium. Kill a few Chinese oligarchs and the problem will disappear when word gets around.