Giant African rats twitch noses for landmines

Giant African rats, reputed for their fine sense of smell, are twitching their noses across fields and roads in Mozambique to trace deadly landmine aroma.

Giant African rats, reputed for their fine sense of smell, are twitching their noses across fields and roads in Mozambique to trace deadly landmine aroma, as part of a global effort to clear the devices that still kill and main people after past wars.

HT Image

"Currently, a fully trained platoon of African Hamster rats, brooded and raised in Tanzania, is engaged in the process of demining," Frank Weetjens, who manages Mozambique's mine detection programme non-governmental organisation, APOPO, said in Nairobi.

"Rats have a very strong sense of smell, which assists them to trace the scent of explosives," he said.

Unlike mine-sniffing dogs, which easily get bored or by mistake get blown up due to their weight, or metal detectors that cannot differentiate between metal and mines, rats enjoy twitching their noses on the ground for any smell of explosives.

Rats, are rewarded only with bananas and peanuts, undertake monotonous, repetitive tasks for longer periods than dogs that want more affection, but easily get bored.