Land mine detecting rats!

In Africa especially they have an abundance of land mines buried underground that maim or kill people on a daily basis. These mines are there due to many years of civil war. Children can’t even play in a field without the concern of possibly stepping on a land mine.

Dogs were used in the past until it was discovered that giant rats that are native to the region can be trained to do the job. I saw this on the Jane Goodall special on Animal planet called "When animals talk." The rats are very responsive to the training process with the lure of food as an incentive. It was amazing to watch them work with these rats. The rats rarely get harmed as they are so light they do not set off the mines. The rats let the trainers know where the mines are and after removing the rats the mines are exploded and the area is safe once again for the residents of that area.

It is painstaking work but well worth the effort. If you would like to learn more about this interesting topic I found and article on the National Geographic website that explains more about this phenomenal practice. Hope you find it interesting! The link to the article is:
National Geographic article

Donna