IAEA program uses radioisotopes to protect rhinos

August 11, 2025, 3:00PMNuclear News
The Rhisotope Project team inserts radioactive isotopes into a rhino’s horn. (Source: Martin Klinenboeck/IAEA)

After two years of testing, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, have begun officially implementing the Rhisotope Project, an innovative effort to combat rhino poaching and trafficking by leveraging nuclear technology.