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Discover how giant “Hero Rats” are sniffing out danger and saving lives

3 min read

Inspiring People
Discover how giant “Hero Rats” are sniffing out danger and saving lives
Source: Apopo.org

A type of giant rats are being trained to help clear the world of deadly landmines and even they can even sniff out tuberculosis!

Giant rats are helping rid the world of two deadly threats: landmines and tuberculosis

Many people are either terrified or disgusted by rats, but perhaps we’re being a little unfair on them. For the past 20 years Tanzanian non-profit APOPO’s scent detection rats have been saving countless lives by detecting both landmines and the deadly disease tuberculosis. Their handlers were surprised to discover they quickly formed strong bonds with these intelligent and sensitive rodents.

For 20 years APOPO's scent detection rats have been detecting landmines and tuberculosis The size of a small cat, the African giant pouched rats’ acute sense of smell, combined with their eagerness to work quickly for tasty treats, means they are so much faster at detecting explosives or tuberculosis than the alternative methods. Source: Facebook/BrightVibes

Apopo: training rats to save lives

For the past 20 years APOPO’s scent detection rats have been detecting landmines and tuberculosis in many countries around the world.

The Problem: Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, that cause tragic accidents and hamper communities from developing their productive land. Meanwhile, slow and inaccurate detection methods make tuberculosis the world’s most deadly infectious disease. 10 million new people contract TB every year, with 3 million going undiagnosed, and 1.8 million dying from the disease.

The Solution: The APOPO scent detection rats, nicknamed ‘HeroRATs’, help to rid the world of landmines and tuberculosis –returning safe land back to communities for development, and freeing people from serious illness so they can get back on their feet.

Source: Apopo.org

Magawa is a highly trained Mine Detection Rat or MDR for short. Magawa saves lives by using his remarkable sense of smell to safely sniff out explosives faster than existing methods. Cambodia is the world’s second most mined country in the world and Magawa is on a mission to protect local communities.
‘Magawa’ in the field (Siem Riep, Cambodia) Magawa is a highly trained Mine Detection Rat or MDR for short. Magawa saves lives by using his remarkable sense of smell to safely sniff out explosives faster than existing methods. Cambodia is the world’s second most mined country in the world and Magawa is on a mission to protect local communities. Source: Apopo.org MAGAWA

LANDMINES!

Apopo addresses global issues through research, development and deployment of scent detection technology at its training and research center in Tanzania and seven other countries.

Apopo’s landmines detection rats ignore scrap metal and only detect explosive scent, making them much faster at finding landmines than metal detectors.

Landmines not only cause tragic accidents, they are a barrier to development, constraining communities and denying access to fertile land, travel routes and basic needs. APOPO’s HeroRATs are too light to detonate the landmines and are very quick at finding them, making them a perfect “tool” for speeding up detection and clearance.

Using an integrated approach of survey, machines and metal detectors, plus the mine detection rats, APOPO and partners quickly release safe land so that people can get their lives back on track.

Source: Apopo.org

Just a youngster, Shuri recently graduated from APOPO mine detection training with flying colors. With a flash of her whiskers, Shuri will help sniff out landmines in Angola one of the most mine-affected places in the world.
‘Shuri’ is a staff favourite with a cheeky personality Just a youngster, Shuri recently graduated from APOPO mine detection training with flying colors. With a flash of her whiskers, Shuri will help sniff out landmines in Angola one of the most mine-affected places in the world. Source: Apopo.org SHURI

DETECTING TUBERCULOSIS

Detecting tuberculosis remains one of the biggest challenges facing medical professionals. Apopos’s TB detection rats can check 100 samples for tuberculosis in 20 minutes; the same task would take a lab technician up to 4 days. Suspect samples are re-checked using LED fluorescence microscopy.

Apopo’s researches detection rats as a “failsafe” – examining clinic tested human sputum samples delivered from partner clinics in Tanzania and Mozambique. Any rat-suspect samples are rechecked using WHO endorsed methods and if TB is confirmed, Apopo notifies the clinic.

Research indicates that Apopo could be improving clinic detection rates by up to 40%.

Source: Apopo.org

Chewa’s weight meant he was always destined to sniff out tuberculosis rather than landmines (just in case he set them off!). Chewa, pronounced CHEH – WAH, means ‘brave’ in Swahili — but his handlers call him ‘Mchapakazi’, which means ‘the hard worker’.
‘Chewa’ is one of the biggest HeroRATs of all time weighing in at monstrous 1.36kg Chewa’s weight meant he was always destined to sniff out tuberculosis rather than landmines (just in case he set them off!). Chewa, pronounced CHEH – WAH, means ‘brave’ in Swahili — but his handlers call him ‘Mchapakazi’, which means ‘the hard worker’. Source: Apopo.org CHEWA

To ‘adopt’ any rat featured in this article

Simply click on the source link of that particular rat’s photograph to find out more.

‘Isaac’: the story of a little giant An RT Documentary crew follow the story of one baby rat and his training to eventually become a mine-detecting HeroRAT in Cambodia. Source: YouTube/RTDocumentary
Make an Impact

Adopt or gift a HeroRAT and help people to live, work, and play without fear or disease

There are nearly 300 HeroRATs under Apopo’s care. Your support ensures they're treated like the heroes they are. Landmines and tuberculosis kill. Your support enables people to live, work, and play without fear. APOPO empowers people and communities. Your support helps create jobs and improves economic and environmental conditions.