18,259,057 members doing good!



Select names from your address book   |   Help
   

We hate spam. We do not sell or share the email addresses you provide.

Rats as Heroes?

Rats as Heroes?

As a child, Bart Weetjens, from Belgium, bred rodents to sell to pet shops. Now he’s the founder and director of APOPO, an NGO operating from Tanzania that trains rats to detect landmines. APOPO’s team of mine-sleuthing rats is active in Mozambique, and will begin mine-detection operations in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia.

Why shouldn’t we use advanced technology to detect landmines?

“Machines require batteries and maintenance, and you end up with a high technological level that won’t work in a tropical environment in a low-resource setting. High-tech devices—infrareds, robotics, multi-sensor platforms, ground-penetrating radar—constantly need experts around and are way too expensive. We can provide a detector that is low-tech and maintainable, and create local expertise in low-skilled operators.”

But why rats?

“When I realized in the 1990s that landmines form a structural barrier to development, I was looking for an appropriate detector. I found out scientists had researched using gerbils to detect explosives. I’m a big rodent lover and I had rats and mice throughout my youth, so I knew rats are very intelligent creatures and one of the most adaptable species. But I didn’t know then that rats can save human lives. At APOPO, we use an approach based on positive behavior reinforcements. Rats are happy performing repetitive tasks—once they know a trick, they like to do it endlessly for food. We socialize them when they are four weeks old. We expose them to all kinds of environments and teach them to trust humans.”

Isn’t it expensive and slow work to train rats?

“No. We can de-mine for 14 cents a square foot, which is 60 to 70 percent cheaper than with metal detectors. And using machines is extremely slow, as you will get a lot of false indications. A manual de-miner can do up to 60 square yards (50 square meters) in a day, while a rat can do that in 15 minutes. And the logistic advantage is huge. The animals don’t require a lot of attention and are easy to transport and train. It’s a very useful tool to speed up the detection of mines.”

Watch the video below to see the rats at work:

Read more: Behavior & Communication, Humor & Inspiration, Less Common Pets, News & Issues, Pets, , ,

Megan, selected from Ode magazine

Ode, the magazine for Intelligent Optimists, is an international independent journal that publishes positive news, about the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better.

adoption-pets6

70 comments

+ add your own
2:58PM PDT on Oct 30, 2010

i love rats... please leave them alone.. they are the most social animals very intelligent and loving too. give them a break please.

10:19AM PDT on May 20, 2010

That is SO cool, I love this.

11:56AM PDT on May 15, 2010

I've seen this before in a documentary. If I recalled correctly, the rats aren't harmed. They don't even know they're hereoes; they're working for treats. The owners seem to take good care of them, too.
I've noticed several posters have written this already, but I'm adding it again, since concerned posters continue to ask about the rats' welfare.

4:12PM PDT on May 14, 2010

If they are so keen to send in animals, perhaps they should try to volunteer themselves. If a rat or any species that is considered with out property value mostly, they could not care about their welbeing.

Why do human have to use and abuse and kill animals.

Rats are heros, and inspite of what man kind has put them through, they are still survivng as a species as a whole. Rats are heros.

8:42PM PDT on Apr 12, 2010

wow incredible!

1:06AM PDT on Apr 7, 2010

i have three rats and can understand how you would be able to train them, they are just like mini dogs!

2:42PM PDT on Mar 25, 2010

these rats are amazing,

7:40AM PDT on Mar 19, 2010

I once had some rats as pets! Great activity!

7:55AM PST on Mar 13, 2010

Why was the video removed? Was it not good. Thank you

8:31AM PST on Mar 12, 2010

Great story!

add your comment

20
20 log in or sign up to start earning Butterfly Credits today!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

people are talking

less hope this idea grows.

I'm eating some dark chocolate right now - but it has lovely marzipan in it. Perhaps one day we'll f…

It is great to see the wider implications of good farming supported. We need to have a variety of wa…

What a great looking dish! I, too, don't like beets but beets are so good for you that I might try a…

I love it when my boyfriend cooks! yeah he needs a bit of ego-stroking but I think that is beca…

customize your newsletter

This newsletter will be sent daily and will feature updates on all the causes you care about. Which causes would you like to include?

Copyright © 2012 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved