Backpacking rats are training hard to rescue us humans from disaster sites
Rats ā they’re a lot smarter than we give them credit for.
In a recent instance of cool animal facts, scientists in Tanzania are training the little rodents to help with search and rescue efforts at disaster sites. And it’s going really well!
Scottish researcher and animal lover Dr. Donna Kean is one of the people behind HeroRATS, an endeavour by APOPO, a Tanzanian non-profit organization focused on training animals to help the world.
She trains African giant pouched rats to carry out search and rescue operations and contribute to other lifesaving projects.
I train these clever creatures to save victims trapped in collapsed buildings after earthquakes. We kit them out with a rat backpack, and train them to trigger a switch when they find a victim & come back for a tasty treat š#herosnotpests #science #weirdjobs #WomenInSTEM pic.twitter.com/728IQv70NX
ā Dr Donna Kean (@donnaeilidhkean) May 26, 2022
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In an interview with Discover, Kean revealed that she and her team have fully trained seven rats and a total of 170 are still in hero school, waiting to go out there and save lives.
Scientists orchestrate a post-earthquake scenario to prepare the rats for the real deal. They wear little backpacks (frankly, adorable) and if they find a victim in the debris, they trigger a switch and return to their trainers for a treat.
Aside from sniffing out survivors out from earthquake debris, animals are also being trained to bring an end to tuberculosis and landmines.
And that’s not all ā rats are also helping out their fellow critters to put a stop to illegal wildlife smuggling.
Dr @IzzySzott & team train rats to find illegally smuggled wildlife, such as #pangolins, in shipping containers.
Rats pull a ball on their vest when they find hidden wildlife & then return for a well-earned treat. Funding @UNDP & @giz_gmbh Partner @TheEWT
šø@PangolinCrisis pic.twitter.com/RheFXSXwPX
ā APOPO Science (@ApopoScience) June 2, 2022
People are so impressed by the project, some already want to see a movie based on these heroic rodents. And honestly? So do we.
This is incredible! The best thing I’ve seen in ages and just what my timeline needed!
Also, very importantly, why is there not an animated tv series based on this called ‘Rescue rats’? @netflix ? https://t.co/62fbXyeQ3h
ā Sian Green (@SianGreen92) May 26, 2022
You could also train rats and help save humans and animals in the future. The collective responsible for these efforts is looking for people with a PhD and experience with animals.
Apply here or tell your rat-loving friends about the opportunity.
**Please retweet** Do you want to help train these heroesš to find trapped humans, fight wildlife smuggling, detect disease & clean up the environment? If you have a PhD & experience with animals apply now #weirdjobs #jobsearch #job #research #sciencehttps://t.co/tVj9XgSTYV pic.twitter.com/QLxzO0TEc3
ā Dr Donna Kean (@donnaeilidhkean) May 30, 2022
You can also support this initiative by donating to APOPO here.
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