Giant Rats Are Saving Tons Of Lives In The Most Amazing Way

May 25, 2015

Everyone's least favorite rodent has been tasked with cleaning up the lethal leftovers of war. Land mines kill thousands every year, but these rats have been trained to save lives by sniffing out the scent of explosives.

rats saving lives

The group responsible for training the rodents is APOPO – which stands for Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Product Ontwikkeling in Dutch - Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development in English.

rats saving lives

Using positive reinforcement that is respectful to the animals, these African pouched rats are taught to identify explosives and then alert their handler.

rats saving lives

They're perfect for the job – they’re highly intelligent and have a keen sense of smell. They are small enough not to trigger mines, yet large enough to be easily identifiable in the field.

And the best part...

rats saving lives

No rat has been killed in a minefield!

rats saving lives

They can clear two hundred square meters in just 20 minutes. It would take humans with metal detectors five days to cover the same area.

rats saving lives

Since 2000, they have found over 9,000 buried land mines and bombs all across Tanzania and Mozambique. They’ve also found thousands of small arms and ammunitions stashed in the ground.

rats saving lives

The rats normally live for up to eight years, but are retired when they turn six.

rats saving lives

They live out the rest of their days as hero’s, munching on avocados, apples and bananas, and being loved on by their handlers.

rats saving lives

Via The Chive.


Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoCouple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It

feel good storiesOhio Man Makes Waves With His Fully Functioning Hot Dog Boat

feel good storiesThese Are The Movie Scenes People Say Are Absolutely Flawless

feel good storiesWhy Hope Is The Key To A Meaningful Life, Backed By New Research

feel good storiesJudge Waives Parking Fines So Dad Can Keep Supporting Son’s Space Dreams

feel good storiesHungry Elephant Casually Walks Into Grocery Store For Snacks In Thailand

feel good videoWoman Tries To Help Bird, Then This Happened... And We Can't Stop Laughing

feel good videoArtist Creates Mesmerizing Optical Illusion Using Just A Marker And A Spinning Wheel

feel good videoConcerned Momma Moose Wanders Into Alaska Firehouse

feel good videoUPS Driver Joins Teenagers On Graduation Slip ’N Slide

feel good videoHero Dog Named RAMBO Scares Off Masked Robbers To Save Woman

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me