Sniffer Rats Save Lives

Are rats smarter than humans?Any pet rat owner will be quick to tell you tales proving that the rodents are amongst the smartest animals in the world.  Studies and inventive pet owners alike have trained rats to do a number of extraordinary tricks,  and they have proven to be quick learners.  They have great memories, and can are great at problem solving, navigating complex mazes and completing tasks to get a reward.

 

Yet despite their brilliance, they still have a bad name.  Despite being actually rather clean animals, (their natural resistance to many types of disease is what enables them to be carriers) they are still cursed by the phrase 'You dirty rat!'

However, it appears that some of the world’s militaries may have a newfound respect, and use for 'dirty rats' after all.

 

Meet Kofi, a Gambian pouched rat who is being trained to be used as a useful weapon in the battle against deadly landmines in Africa.

 

Like most rats, Kofi has a very sensitive snout and is able to sniff out various types of explosives from about 50 feet away. And if he happens to miss one, it’s not the end of the world for the hard-working rat because he’s not heavy enough to detonate a mine and can scamper along quite carefree at no risk.

 

Kofi the Lifesaving RatKofi is just one of many rats trained to detect landmines, and it is hoped that their work can prevent some of the many injuries and deaths of innocent civilians who accidentally step on the mines each year. It’s not all work and no play forKofi though, as he only has to train 20 minutes a day with staff at his wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall, England, after which he is free to enjoy theamenities of his cage.

 

His handler Wendy Winstanley intends to offer Kofi’s nose to the armed forces and police anti-terrorist units once he has graduated. Wendy said that while most people think of rats as dumb vermin, they are actually very intelligent.  In the spirit of true rat loving loyalty, she is also quick to point out that their sense of smell is even better than dogs and that they are more effective in their work due to their small size and agility.

 

The rats start their training when they are only five weeks old. They are taught to recognize the odour of metal landmine casings and when they find one, they are treated with food. When they are fully trained, the rodents are able to locate mines in the field, after which they sit down and claw at the spot until receiving their reward. Once a mine is found, an explosives expert destroys it safely.

 

In Mozambique, there are 30 such sniffer rats being used to find landmines that were planted in the civil war.

 

The rats seem to be showing humans how it’s done as each one can clear 100 square metres about half an hour. Meanwhile it takes people two days to clear the same area.

Source:  Daily Mail