Rats Used to Clear Over 2,400 Mines in Mozambique
- 11 years ago
Rats are used to clear 2,400 mines in Mozambique.
All around the world, many war-torn areas are littered with unexploded land mines.
In Mozambique, African rats are clearing minefields of dangerous explosives.
The large African rats were specially trained to be Mine Detection Rats by the Belgian Non Governmental Organization known as Apopo.
Mines are a serious problem in Mozambique, where there are still tens of thousands of explosives that were laid during various wars over the decades.
Since the rats began detecting mines in 2006, they have uncovered over 24 hundred of them, clearing over 2 square miles of the countryside in Mozambique.
Using rats to detect the mines is much more efficient and safer than other current methods like metal detectors or dogs.
Apopo also trains rats to diagnose people who have tuberculosis by smelling them.
Over 22 hundred people who were not diagnosed by microscopy had tuberculosis that was detected by the rats.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to use rats as a way to detect land mines?
All around the world, many war-torn areas are littered with unexploded land mines.
In Mozambique, African rats are clearing minefields of dangerous explosives.
The large African rats were specially trained to be Mine Detection Rats by the Belgian Non Governmental Organization known as Apopo.
Mines are a serious problem in Mozambique, where there are still tens of thousands of explosives that were laid during various wars over the decades.
Since the rats began detecting mines in 2006, they have uncovered over 24 hundred of them, clearing over 2 square miles of the countryside in Mozambique.
Using rats to detect the mines is much more efficient and safer than other current methods like metal detectors or dogs.
Apopo also trains rats to diagnose people who have tuberculosis by smelling them.
Over 22 hundred people who were not diagnosed by microscopy had tuberculosis that was detected by the rats.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to use rats as a way to detect land mines?