Rescue rats trained to search for disaster survivors

[Bogertophis]

As I've always maintained, rats are intelligent & curious, & obviously great at fitting into tight places. This seems like a great idea! (Link below has short video too)

https://www.wsfa.com/2022/10/25/resc...ter-survivors/

Rescue rats trained to search for disaster survivors

Some rats have been trained for other emergency situations, like sniffing out landmines and even detecting tuberculosis. (APOPO via CNN)


By CNN Newsource Staff

Published: Oct. 25, 2022 at 5:04 AM CDT

(CNN) - A nonprofit is outfitting rats with high-tech backpacks and training them to help search for survivors of natural and man-made disasters.
Natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes can level entire communities, and for search and rescue teams, it’s a painstaking task as they work against time to find survivors.
But unlikely saviors are being trained to help out: rats with tiny, high-tech backpacks carrying video cameras.
The project, conceived by Belgian nonprofit APOPO, trains the rats to help first responders search for survivors among rubble in disaster zones.

“Rats are typically quite curious and like to explore – and that is key for search and rescue,” said Donna Kean, a behavioral research scientist and leader of the project.
Some rats have been trained for other emergency situations, like sniffing out landmines and even detecting tuberculosis.
“Even if our rats find just one survivor at a debris site, I think we would be happy to know it’s made a difference somewhere,” Kean told CNN.
Not every rodent can become a part of the rescue pack. APOPO’s programs use African giant pouched rats, which have a longer lifespan in captivity than the common brown rat.
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