SearchRats are smart creatures and can be taught certain behaviors.
In South Eastern Asia, rats are in training to save lives by detecting landmines. Throughout Cambodia, landmines were dropped during the Vietnam War. Many remain on the ground unexploded and partially hidden and have resulted in over 64,000 injuries.
African giant pouched rats are part of a “Hero Rat” program to detect these destructive devices. A Belgian non-profit group called APOPO works with these rats across the area to find and destroy landmines. The rats can sniff the TNT and find landmines much faster than a human being using a metal detector. Rats are too light to set off the explosive and they are taught to ignore other stray pieces of metal. When a rat finds a device, it signals it’s handler by scratching the ground.
One particular rat that goes by the name of Magawa, was just awarded a gold medal for “lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty.” Over the last four years, he has helped clear 1.5 million square feet of land and his skills have saved countless local people from injury or death.
