Rats With Tiny Backpacks Could be the Answer for Earthquake Rescues

Photo provided by nonprofit APOPO captures Magawa, an African pouch rat, sporting a gold medal he was granted by UK charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, for his efforts in detecting land mines in Cambodia. APOPO has indicated that Magawa has found approximately 71 land mines and 38 unexploded ordnance.Mary ManleyAn unpopular rodent may have found a way to improve its reputation. Giant pouched rats are being trained by the Belgian nonprofit APOPO, which also trains dogs, to save human lives. The rats, nicknamed “HeroRATs” by the organization, have already been trained to detect landmines and tuberculosis, and are preparing for a new step in their career.APOPO is now training these three pound rats to save even more lives. The nonprofit is outfitting the giant rats with small specialized backpacks that will help rescue teams talk to survivors of earthquakes. After being trained, the rats should be able to scurry through the rubble of a disaster zone following a hurricane or an earthquake in order to locate survivors.