Deployed to Wildlife Crackdown Sites in Africa
Capable of Landmine Detection and Hazardous Material Identification
The African giant pouched rat, known as the largest rat in the world, is being deployed as a government agent. Reports have emerged that it will be assigned the task of 'threat detection' at wildlife trafficking crackdown sites.
The British daily Financial Times (FT) reported on the 30th (local time) that pouched rats will be trained and deployed at wildlife trafficking crackdown sites in Tanzania. It is said that all the rats performed excellently in previous tests.
The pouched rats are planned to be placed in spaces where trafficking occurs, such as warehouses and terminals. Using their exceptional sense of smell, the pouched rats can detect the scent of illegally trafficked wildlife. Local authorities also explained that they can identify other substances as well. For example, they are known to be capable of detecting landmines, chemical substances, and even tuberculosis bacteria.
The advantages of the giant pouched rat include △short training time △flexible operation even if the trainer changes △and cost efficiency resulting from these factors. Scientists who conducted tests locally stated, "The training cost per rat is around $7,000 to $8,000 (approximately 9.64 to 11 million KRW)," adding, "This is much cheaper than purchasing advanced electronic inspection equipment such as X-rays and CT scanners."
The giant pouched rat is a large rodent that grows to nearly 1 meter from nose to tail. Previously, Tanzanian scientists collaborated with the non-profit organization APOPO to conduct training that used the rats' favorite food to help them detect specific scents.
Experimental results showed that the pouched rats' scent memory ability was as smart as that of dogs. In the future, the giant pouched rats will wear custom-made vests and be trained to pull a ball attached to the vest with their front paws to sound a sonic alarm when identifying smuggled goods.
The rat 'Magawa' honored for its contribution to landmine clearance in Tanzania [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]
The rats participating in the training have already been given unique names. They were named after environmental activists and wildlife trafficking prohibition advocates, such as Kursti, Marti, Irwin, Betty, Teddy, Ebony, Desmond, Thoreau, and Fossey.
The paper covering the results of this training was also published in the international academic journal Frontiers in Conservation Science. Kate Webb, a co-author and professor at Duke University, emphasized, "There is a negative stereotype that portrays rats as dirty animals, but in fact, rats are clean and intelligent creatures that strictly follow living rules," adding, "They are serious when undergoing training."
Meanwhile, according to Interpol, the global scale of wildlife trafficking reaches up to $20 billion (approximately 27.6 trillion KRW) annually.
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