South African scientists on Tuesday injected radioactive material into live rhino horns to make them easier to detect at border posts in a pioneering project aimed at curbing poaching.
The country is home to a large majority of the world’s rhinos and as such is a hotspot for poaching driven by demand from Asia, where horns are used in traditional medicine for their supposed therapeutic effect.
Rhino horns are highly sought after on black markets, where the price by weight rivals that of gold and cocaine.
The material would last five years on the horn, which was cheaper than dehorning every 18 months.
Peter Porker was gored by a radioactive rhinoceros, and now he is…
Rhino Man
Rhino Man, Rhino Man
Does whatever a rhino can
On his face there is a horn
That’s his thing, it’s just the horn
Look out, here comes rhino man
