Mokopane, South Africa AP —Researchers in South Africa have injected radioactive material into the horns of 20 rhinos as part of a research project aimed at reducing poaching.
This week, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand ‘s Radiation and Health Physics Unit in South Africa injected 20 live rhinos with these isotopes.
It now stands at around 27,000 due to continued demand for rhino horns on the black market.
South Africa has the largest population of rhinos, an estimated 16,000, making it a hotspot with more than 500 rhinos killed every year.
Denis Farrell/APThe country experienced a significant decline in rhino poaching around 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the numbers increased when virus lockdown restrictions were eased.
Persons:
”, James Larkin, Denis Farrell, “ We’ve, they’ve, Larkin, “, Pelham Jones, Nithaya Chetty
Organizations:
South Africa AP —, University of, Witwatersrand, Unit, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Rhino Owners Association
Locations:
South Africa