Rats To The Rescue: Sniffing Out Bombs

By Catherine Clarke Fox
National Geographic Kids News
July 26, 2005
In the African country of Tanzania, a company from Belgium called APOPO trains African giant pouched rats to find dangerous land mines left over from wars. The rats are trained to sniff out some of the chemicals in these weapons.
Land mines are buried bombs that explode when someone walks on them or something presses them. The mines are designed for wars, but often injure and kill people going about their daily lives.
After 8 to 12 months of training, the rats can find mines so they can be safely destroyed. The rats also sniff out grenades and bullets while the animals are on patrol.
Trained dogs often perform this important work, but APOPO director Bart Weetjens recently discovered that the African giant pouched rat costs far less money to train and care for.
These rats may seem huge. Their bodies are 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 centimeters) long, not including their tails. But their size suits the job: At one and a half to 3 pounds (0.7 to 1.5 kilograms), they are too light to set off the land mines.
Rats and trainers search one small area at a time. To be sure that every inch of ground is checked, APOPO workers use a harness-and-rope system that guides the rats back and forth in rows. The trainer stands safely on the edge of the area.
When a rat smells explosives, it signals by pawing at the dirt in that spot. The trainers mark each spot on a map. Later, technicians explode the mines safely.
In the African country of Mozambique, nearly half the population is younger than 15 years old. A lot of kids are in danger as they play or do chores.
"In the town of Vilanculos, children had been playing on the soccer field, until there was an accident," Bart Weetjens said.
APOPO rats and trainers helped other organizations make the area safe. "The soccer field has been opened again, and there is no threat any more," Weetjens said.
About 80 million land mines are buried out of sight in more than 60 countries around the world. As APOPO's program grows, the rat heroes might travel the globe!
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