"HeroRATs" detect land mines and save lives
If you thought rats didn't serve a useful purpose think again: African Giant Pouched Rats, already used to detect land mines in Tanzania and Mozambique, are now being deployed to clear fields of unexploded mines in Cambodia, one of the most bombed and mined countries in the world.
The Belgian non-governmental organization (NGO) which developed the program of land mine detecting rats, APOPO (Anti-Personnel Land mines Detection Product Development in English), was founded in 1997.
The rats detect land mines with their well-developed sense of smell and don't weigh enough to set off pressure-activated ones.
Here, a land mine detecting rat searches as its handler looks in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
Land mine detecting rats
A land mine detection rat sticks it's nose out of the cage at feeding time in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
The Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) working with the Belgian NGO, APOPO, recently began testing the feasibility of using large land mine detection rats from Tanzania to help clear fields in the mine-pocked country.
The rats are trained for about nine months to become what APOPO calls "HeroRATs". The rats learn to differentiate among a variety of smells and face a two-day test before they go out in the field.
Land mine detecting rats
A handler carries a rat to an enclosure in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
In addition to Tanzania, Mozambique and Cambodia, the mine detecting rat program is operating in Thailand, Angola, Vietnam and Laos. The program has detected and neutralized at least 19,558 land mines and 6,068 unexploded ordnance (UXO) since it began. UXO are explosive weapons such as bombs, grenade and shells that have not exploded when employed and still pose the risk of detonation, often many decades later.
Land mine detecting rats
A land mine detection rat looks out of its cage before training begins in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015,
According to APOPO, there are currently 56 countries and four territories affected by land mines and explosive remnants -- the high cost of war -- that continues to affect post-war recovery and still have the power to maim and kill.
Land mine detecting rats
A handler gives the mine detection rat's cage a quick cleaning in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
The rats must pass the same rigorous training that land mine-sniffing canines do.
Unlike most people, APOPO founder and Dutch product designer, Bart Weetjens grew up playing with rats as pets. He explained his innovative idea to use HeroRATS in a Ted Talk, "How I taught rats to sniff out land mines."
Land mine detecting rats
A deactivated, Chinese-made, anti-personnel mine is one of many types used to train the rats in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
In additional to searching out buried explosives, APOPO is now training rats to detect the presence of tuberculosis in hospitals.
Land mine detecting rats
A small leash is attached to a mine detection rat before a training session in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
Land mine detecting rats
A HeroRAT searches for land mines and unexploded ordnance during a training session in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
Land mine detecting rats
A rat searches for land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) during a training session in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
Land mine detecting rats
A mine detection rat is given a banana as a reward after successfully identifying an inactive mine in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
APOPO's unusual mission is defined by them as "solving pressing humanitarian challenges with detection rats technology." The organization believes it can provide global solutions and inspire social change with the 'technology.'
Land mine detecting rats
Mine detection rats nap in the shade after finishing their morning training on in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.
Land mine detecting rats
A handler carries a mine detection rat to a cool, shaded area after finishing training in Siem Reap, Cambodia, July 2, 2015.