If Belgian non-profit APOPO is successful, search and rescue workers in Tanzania could have a new pint-sized ally to help execute their difficult job: a giant rat in a tiny hi-tech backpack. The organisation has already trained rats – which they call “HeroRATs” – and dogs to sniff out landmines and detect outbreaks of tuberculosis. But because of their size, agility and keen sense of smell, rats could also be a valuable tool for existing search and rescue efforts. The rats used in the trial, however, are not the usual rodents that most people associate with rubbish and disease. These are Afric…
