How Nuclear Bombs are Helping Fight Elephant Poachers
Transcript
How can nukes help elephants?
During nuclear bomb tests in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, radioactive carbon-14 was taken up by plants around the globe.
Carbon-14 remains in plants today, albeit at lower levels.
And, when elephants eat plant matter, the isotope enters their teeth and tusks.
Carbon-14 decays at a known amount each year.
So, by measuring the amount of the isotope in a tusk, scientists can determine in what year an elephant died.
In 1989, the international trade in ivory was banned.
So, if an ivory tusk is found to be from after that year, it’s most likely illegal.
By combining this data with DNA analysis pinpointing the geographical source of ivory, law enforcement can better combat elephant poaching.
