Giant rats trained to hunt for landmines in Cambodia
Giant rats trained to hunt for landmines in Cambodia
Love this story from the Daily Mail . . . .
They may make your skin crawl, but these rats are saving lives in Cambodia.
The giant rats are being used to sniff out landmines in the war-torn country, where there are as many as three million mines still scattered across the countryside.
Once trained to sniff out TNT, the rats can do a job in 20 minutes that would take a human mine detector five days, and for a fraction of the cost.
Trained at a research centre in Tanzania, the rats – which have been dubbed ‘hero-rats’ – have already been successfully deployed in parts of Africa, such as Angola and Mozambique.
A team of 10 has now been sent to Cambodia, where they are getting used to the climate and undergoing performance tests.
James Pursey, communications director for the Belgian anti-mining NGO Apopo, said: ‘They are still a bit skittish.
‘This is also the first time many of the trainers have worked with such big rats, so we are easing everyone into it slowly.’
The African giant pouched rat – which can grow up to three-foot long – is a relatively calm and sociable animal that enjoys repetitive tasks and can live up to eight years.
Although it has poor sight, its keen sense of smell and intelligence makes it ideal for the job.
As it is so light, it does not detonate pressure-activated landmines that normally require three times their weight to set them off.
The team of rats has already proved highly successful in Mozambique, where they have detected nearly 2,500 mines as well as more than 14,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance
Landmines are a constant threat in Cambodia, particularly along the border with Thailand where there are an estimated two to three million of them. Since 1979, mines and unexploded ordnance have killed more than 19,000 Cambodians and injured more than 45,000. Eight people have already been killed by mines in the country this year.
In Mozambique, the rats have so far detected nearly 2,500 mines as well as more than 14,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, small arms and ammunition, left over by the country’s 1990s civil war.
They may make your skin crawl, but these rats are saving lives in Cambodia.
The giant rats are being used to sniff out landmines in the war-torn country, where there are as many as three million mines still scattered across the countryside.
Once trained to sniff out TNT, the rats can do a job in 20 minutes that would take a human mine detector five days, and for a fraction of the cost.
Trained at a research centre in Tanzania, the rats – which have been dubbed ‘hero-rats’ – have already been successfully deployed in parts of Africa, such as Angola and Mozambique.
A team of 10 has now been sent to Cambodia, where they are getting used to the climate and undergoing performance tests.
James Pursey, communications director for the Belgian anti-mining NGO Apopo, said: ‘They are still a bit skittish.
‘This is also the first time many of the trainers have worked with such big rats, so we are easing everyone into it slowly.’
The African giant pouched rat – which can grow up to three-foot long – is a relatively calm and sociable animal that enjoys repetitive tasks and can live up to eight years.
Although it has poor sight, its keen sense of smell and intelligence makes it ideal for the job.
As it is so light, it does not detonate pressure-activated landmines that normally require three times their weight to set them off.
The team of rats has already proved highly successful in Mozambique, where they have detected nearly 2,500 mines as well as more than 14,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance
Landmines are a constant threat in Cambodia, particularly along the border with Thailand where there are an estimated two to three million of them. Since 1979, mines and unexploded ordnance have killed more than 19,000 Cambodians and injured more than 45,000. Eight people have already been killed by mines in the country this year.
In Mozambique, the rats have so far detected nearly 2,500 mines as well as more than 14,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, small arms and ammunition, left over by the country’s 1990s civil war.
Name reminds me of an ex girlfriend.The African giant pouched rat...
"That was probably Londo...He is always shitty." - Marvin
A meter long??scobienz wrote:The African giant pouched rat – which can grow up to three-foot long – is a relatively calm and sociable animal that enjoys repetitive tasks and can live up to eight years.
These rats can get to a meter long??
Holy mother - imagine that balancing along the cables and bound for your balcony...
- springrain
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Rats are amazing, lovable creatures. A mate of mine in England used to keep several rats as pets. They are very clever and amusing. We used to let them run all over the place and they were so easy to communicate with. Truly amazing creatures that, unfortunately, get such a bad press. Long live rats! And they will.
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Maybe tame ones are but I don't care for them much. City rats are disgusting, diseased fuckers and cause untold grief to people.springrain wrote:Rats are amazing, lovable creatures.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
I know people who keep rats, and, although I don't understand the whys and wherefores of intentionally having a place in one's place for vermin, they swear that they're an intelligent pet...
but...
here?
A meter long... assuming that's a nose to tip-of-tail measurement - you're looking at well over a Jack Russell sized beast!
but...
here?
A meter long... assuming that's a nose to tip-of-tail measurement - you're looking at well over a Jack Russell sized beast!
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Looks to be a farming opportunity.
Easier than chicken and rabbit, I'd say.... perhaps not so easy as wild-caught cousins, though.
Best of all to the trained bretheren - respect - good job guys.
Easier than chicken and rabbit, I'd say.... perhaps not so easy as wild-caught cousins, though.
Best of all to the trained bretheren - respect - good job guys.
Thread title made me think it would be about the telephone company .
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Expat rats, coming over here taking the jobs from poorly trained lazy local rodents.
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