Rats sniff out landmines

HeroRats are rodents who have been specially trained to sniff out unexploded landmines. The Dutch organization Anti-Personnel Land Mines Detection Product Development (APOPO), first referenced on BB in 2004, use Pavlovian conditioning to teach the rats to detect the scent of TNT and then send them to Mozambique for final testing and deployment. From CNN (image Goooutside/Wikimedia Commons):

Their olfactory senses are superb. They're native to Africa, so tropical disease is no problem, and they rarely weigh more than the 3 to 10 kilograms required to trip a mine, (APOPO chief of mine action and human security Havard) Bach said. It also helps that the mine-sniffing rats are not bonded to individual trainers or prone to ennui, as dogs are, he said.
"If you compare them to canine mine detectors, it's pretty much the same in terms of sensitivity and capability," Bach said, noting that dogs are better equipped to work in brush or high grass that might conceal a rat.
"Rats are not going to oust dogs in this industry, but it's a very positive complement," he added. "You could say they work for peanuts."

"Giant rats put noses to work on Africa's land mine epidemic"

Giant pouched rats sniff out landmines

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

MORE: Weird

More at Boing Boing

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

Hackers prepare for first "national holiday" in their honor

Andrea James

Their theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR5VAvlz200
- David Pescovitz
  
  YES! They really should be wearing capes though.
  - Ugly Canuck
    
    No capes!
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68ndaZSKa8
    
    From real life:
    
    http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/07/15264436.html
    
    No capes!
Schorsch

If you have a 10 kilo rat, a landmine won’t be enough to kill it. Also, you should probably just give him as many peanuts as he wants
- fenester
  
  I was reading along and saw “and they rarely weigh more than the 3 to 10 kilograms” and thought, come on a twenty pound rat?… Then I watched the video. I think the translation is wrong and they meant “possum”. (joking)
recoiled

Rat-a-blewy!
manimalien

Excellent! Although, technically, they use operant conditioning (Skinnerian) rather than Pavlovian conditioning to train them to make a detection response.
Anonymous

I watched that entire email waiting for the Rat to blow up. I guess I should have read the article first.

Is it just me, or are African rats cuter that the city rats we have here in DC?
UstinJay

Gotta get those landmines outta there before the development teams go in.
Silverer

I guess now we need a rat tax.
Custardcar

this was on an episode of the amazing race too. the rats are awesome.

I want one.
lyd

Bomb dogs are prone to ennui?
- Pantograph
  
  I’ve seen them. They sit all day in the local cafÃ© smoking Gitanes and reading Celine. It’s heart breaking.
Sarah Neptune

I’m another one who’d never thought of dogs as “prone to ennui”. Hmm.
Mark Crummett

I had no idea dogs were prone to ennui. Well, basset hounds, maybe.
Mr. Son

Well, watching the video, it does look like the rat is having fun.

“So many things to sniff, and the human gives me tasty food for it, sweet deal!”
mlw99

Terrorist: “Rats, foiled again.”
Terrorist Cell Leader: “Reset the trigger weight.”
Rat: “I don’t have ennui with my my explosive-detection oeurve.”
Kathryn Bigelow: “Great, I have a sequel.”
Jackasimov

Holy mother of god that is one cute rodent. Anyone want to go into an African rat import business with me? I think it’d really take off, and I can’t see it going wrong in any way.
Anonymous

Rat (in a Mozambique singles bar): I sniff out landmines.

Lady Rat: Really? Sounds dangerous!

Rat: It’s definitely a high-risk profession, I guess you’d say (takes a slow drag from his cigarette, glances around the room nonchalantly)

Lady Rat: You must be so brave.

Rat: Facing death every day makes me appreciate life so much more. I live every day to the fullest. So… want to go back to my room?
gwailo_joe

We love these mieces to pieces!!

Go Ratty! Don’t get blowed up!
tystick66

hey, who knew rats were so similar to Ronnie D and the Situation?
Teller

Now we’re talking. This is a great use of a population that has, outside of medical research and NYer cartoons, given us little in return for its imprecations.
- nosarembo
  
  C’mon, the Bubonic Plague made some people immune to AIDS. That has to count for something.
Anonymous

So, if the rat manages to escape his harness, which lucky fella gets to go in after it?
MadRat

I’ve read some blog entries from people who had African Pouched Rats as pets. These rats have two or three times the lifespan of the average pet rat, but it’s little difficult because they’re wild animals and don’t have the same calm temperament. They’re very territorial and might get combative if they think you’re invading their space. I’ve also read they have a chain saw were their mouth should be so your may find yourself making frequent trips to Ikea.
Anon022

I’m more impressed with fact that they have little harnesses on and walk along a guide rope.
jimjambandit

“he added. “You could say they work for peanuts.”
Surely not…you pay peanuts you get monkeys? The monkey bomb disposal teamsters ain’t gonna like this!
Anonymous

These rats (Gambian Pouched Rats) are illegal to import into the United States, alas. Some years ago people began bringing them in as pets, but in 2003 that got the kibbosh shortly after an outbreak of monkeypox.
facetedjewel

‘Rats’ plant landmines. Rats aid in finding planted landmines. Heroes then dig, disarm, and destroy landmines.
user23

Andrea: the youtube link is down for that version of “cotton.” This one is up, though :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-1d_7kPloc&feature=related

This song is for the rats
Who hurled themselves in to the ocean
When they saw that the explosives in the cargo hold
Were just about to blow
Scruff

Is not rat.
Is Siberian Hamster.
- recoiled
  
  I say to man in shop “Is rat.” He say “No, no, no. Is a special kind of hamster. Is filigree Siberian hamster.” Only one in shop. He make special price: only five pound.
Luc

APOPO was founded in Belgium. It’s not a Dutch organisation – if anything it’s probably more correct to call it Tanzanian or Mozambican by now…

http://apopo.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APOPO