Isotopes to Ecosystems: Nuke safeguarding wildlife
- Nilormi Das
Wildlife poaching is a well-known term, often associated with the illegal and harmful practice of hunting and smuggling animal parts for medicinal, cultural, or commercial purposes. We all want to go on an eventful holiday. And it's the cherry on top if we have the opportunity to go on a summer forest safari with the hope of seeing some wild animals in our immediate surroundings. But do we ever think about wildlife security? Or exploitation they’re prone to? As human beings, do we do enough justice to this magnificent wild habitat?
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Rhinos (common abbreviation for “Rhinoceros”) are on the verge of extinction because of human lunacy. It is believed by a certain group of people that Rhino horns have aphrodisiac as well as medicinal uses, neither of which have been scientifically proven.
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South Africa has been a hotspot for rhino poaching. Various measures like dehorning have been taken into consideration but haven’t been effective and sustainable enough.
What if Nuclear Science finds a role in fighting back this criminal offence?! This is what the non-lethal philanthropic Rhisotope Project is all about. “Science saving Rhinos” is the objective of the Rhisotope Project. This noble project is the brainchild of Prof. James Larkin who is the director of the radiation and health physics unit at the Wits University, founded in 2021.
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The objective of this project is to make the rhino horns radioactive, radially curbing the demand of rhino horns by reducing their desirability for medicinal and cultural purposes from end-users, prevent rhinos from real threat of extinction, and save the species. This method is harmless as the dose levels to be used are only slightly higher than the upper limit of what humans are exposed to from the cosmos and background.
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The horns being radioactive are more likely to be detected by the scanners at check-points and borders, eventually preventing the smuggling of horns. This technology is not limited to just saving rhinos. In the near future, this method can be used to save other wildlife animals as well.
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Let us vow to safeguard the flora and fauna, preserving the ecosystem for a better tomorrow.
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To know more please visit : https://rhisotope.org/