The team at Inner South Veterinary Centre are really excited to have adopted Mojo, a landmine detection rat living in Tanzania. Mojo is an African giant pouched rat known as a HeroRAT. HeroRATS are trained as landmine detection rats. They can also be trained to detect tuberculosis in people!
HeroRATS are the brainchild of APOPO, a Belgian Non Government Organisation, with their headquarters in Tanzania.
HeroRAT getting a food reward.
APOPO employs over 200 staff and has over 300 rats in various stages of breeding, training, or deployment. These amazing rats are trained to detect the scent of TNT and indicate its presence by scratching. Being lightweight, there is no risk of the rats detonating the mines! They are trained with their favourite food – bananas! Watch them being trained on youtube.
The rats have proved an inexpensive, efficient and effective solution to the global landmine problem. Two of APOPO’s mine detection rats, working with two human handlers, can cover 300 square meters of land in one hour! In comparison, two manual de-miners using metal detectors will need two full days to cover the same area. Go RAT POWER!!
APOPO currently has Mine Action Programs in Mozambique and Thailand.
Inner South Veterinary Centre has got behind this amazing group of dedicated rats and handlers and has adopted Mojo as our very own HeroRAT! Mojo has even written us a letter of introduction.
We look forward to hearing about his exploits and achievements as he works to clear landmines and free up land for use by whole communities.
Rats not only change lives as pets, they can save the lives of whole communities! Go Mojo!
For more information go to the APOPO website.