Bomb-sniffing Rats in Mozambique

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paghat - 29 Sep 2004 04:20 GMT

This story first hit the news a couple years ago, but as the project
continues, it is again getting coverage, as in this Reuter's news item:
<http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=6341009>

The article includes a picture of Jerry the Gambian Giant Rat, in his
leather harness. The young man holding Jerry has kept all kinds of rodents
since he was a little boy, & is deeply concerned with the welfare of the
animals.

In Mozambique & elsewhere in Africa, Gambian giant rats are being trained
to find land mines. It is quicker to train the rats than it is to train
dogs for this job. They have a higher percentage of successful finds, &
unlike sniffer dogs, the rats are too lightweight to accidentally set off
the mines.

It costs ten times as much to train a dog to find mines than it costs to
train the rats. Dogs tended to have their training in Europe, & were prone
to death from tropical diseases while working in Africa. The rats by
comparison are trained in Tanzania, & are native to Africa.

The story also notes that the Gambian giant pouch rats are also being
trained to sniff out tuberculosis in saliva specimens, identifying people
who are contageous & in need of medical care. The rats can can sort
through 150 saliva specimens in twenty minutes, compared to a lab tech
with a microscope who can only sort through 20 specimens in an entire
workday.

-paghat the ratgirl

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"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com

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Tracey - 29 Sep 2004 12:02 GMT

> This story first hit the news a couple years ago, but as the project
> continues, it is again getting coverage, as in this Reuter's news item:

<http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=6341009>

> The article includes a picture of Jerry the Gambian Giant Rat, in his
> leather harness. The young man holding Jerry has kept all kinds of rodents
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
> Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com

I read some time ago about how rats were being trained to sniff out drugs.
Here's an article from Naked Scientists.com
(http://www.thenakedscientists.com)

"RATS TO REPLACE SNIFFER DOGS
Apparently in London you are never further than 10 feet from a rat ! But
rats aren't just pests because a team of researchers at Baltimore University
have trained a squad of 'sniffer' rats which they say are just as good as
traditional sniffer dogs. According to the researchers, nine times out of
ten their rats can sniff out explosives or drugs even when they are masked
by other odours such as petrol. So how does it work ? The rats are trained
to stand on their hinds legs when they smell something dodgy. The animals
are trained with a computer that dishes out food rewards when they get it
right. The researchers believe that rats could be much better than sniffer
dogs because they don't need a particular person to handle them, and they
can get into smaller places. The prospect of airport security guards armed
with rats does sound fairly amusing though !"

Tracey

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Keith Schiffer - 29 Sep 2004 18:49 GMT

> This story first hit the news a couple years ago, but as the project
> continues, it is again getting coverage, as in this Reuter's news item:
> <http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=6341009>

What a novel and unique idea. What a shame americans can't think outside the box like this.
Very tempting to get one...can't though. The Monk Parakeets would be entirely to cruel to the
poor thing.

Keith

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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / September 2004

Bomb-sniffing Rats in Mozambique