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 Cacería ilegal de rinocerontes infographic
El gráfico muesta detalles del Proyecto Rhisotope de Sudáfrica para la reducción de la cacería ilegal de rinocerontes.
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Apuesta para reducir la cacería ilegal de rinocerontes

By Duncan Mil

June 28, 2024 - Investigadores en Sudáfrica han inyectado material radioactivo en los
cuernos de 20 rinocerontes como parte de un proyecto para reducir
la cacería ilegal detectando los cuernos en las fronteras nacionales

After three years of work, the Rhisotope Project at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has successfully inserted low doses of radioisotopes into 20 live rhinoceros.

“We are doing this because it makes it significantly easier to intercept these horns as they are being trafficked over international borders, because there is a global network of radiation monitors that have been designed to prevent nuclear terrorism,” said Professor James Larkin, who heads the project. “And we’re piggybacking on the back of that.”

Over 11,000 radiation detection portal monitors are installed at airports, harbours, and other ports of entry around the world.

According to figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an international conservation body, the global rhino population stood at around 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. However, due to the persistent demand for rhino horns on the black market, this number has plummeted to around 27,000, underscoring the urgent need for innovative solutions like the Rhisotope Project.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 28/06/2024; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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