HeroRAT being trained to sniff out landmines in Tanzania

[zorbaknecromancer]

i cant beleive in USA somebody killed these guys with a pitchfork!

[zorbaknecromancer]

the Gambian Giant pouched rat is furry and is the right thing for this

[68redneck67]

How can i help your organisation?

[apopovideos]

@68redneck67 Thanks for your interest! There are plenty of ways you can get involved with APOPO. You can connect with us on Facebook or Twitter, sign up for our newsletter, make a donation, or even participate in our Adopt-a-Rat program. Make sure to check out the "Support HeroRATs" page of our website, apopo.org, to learn more about how you can help the HeroRATs.

[leightonroadcwb]

Keep up the good work, I am making Hero rats through Global giving the charity that my small business in Hong Kong will support for the next couple of years.

Everytime I get some small random invoice or fee owed to me, I save myself the paperwork of getting paid buy getting my clients to make a donation through global giving for the same amount instead.

Our fantastic black rat MR T just passed away after 3 years, he was wild and we found him 6 days old drowning in a puddle Hong Kong.

[apopovideos]

@leightonroadcwb Thank you so much for your support of the HeroRATs through Global Giving! We love meeting people who also appreciate the value of rats.

[kennit4]

good job!!you got a job

[kennit4]

good job!!

[cyborg101101]

When he pets the Rat it is the SWEETEST thing ever! Im going to go give my rats a kiss and thank them now :)

[charlietomb585]

have these mines been laid down recently, or are they from past conflicts?

[apopovideos]

@charlietomb585 The landmine that are in our training field were first deactivated (detonators removed) and laid in our field in 2000. The mines that our HeroRATs are working to detect in Mozambique are from their war for Independence between 1964-1974, and the Civil War between 1977 to 1992.

[blavin321]

@charlietomb585 if they were laid down recently we would still know where the bloody things are lol.

[RaidersFan2469]

Was this a training demonstration or was there in fact a landmine less than a foot away from, what I'm assuming is, the safe zone?

[apopovideos]

@RaidersFan2469 This was in fact a training demonstration. However, in the real landmine fields, it is entirely possible that a landmine may be present next to a safe zone.  Safe lanes are cleared so our staff can walk in the field, but outside of the safe lanes, land mines may be anywhere. That is why our staff is rigorously trained in safety procedures and protocols to ensure their safety (and our HeroRATs!)

[RaidersFan2469]

@apopovideos Awesome. I still think that's crazy that a landmine can be that close to a worker. Thanks for the response, keep up the good work!!

[SleepingWolf26]

thing is big as a small dog.

[CannibalizedMan]

the rats butt is really wierd

[sinslin]

@CannibalizedMan i had a pet rat thats not his butt its his balls

[CannibalizedMan]

@sinslin wow. gross i feel dumb

[ricadrew]

God bless you guys and those awesome animals, this is such a freaking dangerous job!

[Senorize]

how would you know if it found anything?

[ACEDcomputers]

@Senorize

It digs a little bit, enough to expose part of the mine.

[apopovideos]

In fact, most of the landmines are buried so deep that our rats would not be able to expose it. Rather, they indicate the location of the mine and then our human staff go in and remove it.

[annalisa712]

@Senorize They dig up the landmines and since they're so light the mines can't explode the rats so they're safe. ^^

[apopovideos]

@annalisa712 They don't actually dig up the landmines because it would take them forever to do so! Rather they indicate the location of the mine, then our human staff go in and remove it.

[apopovideos]

@Senorize Our rats are trained to scratch at the ground above the landmine to indicate they have found one. Our staff then notes the location of the rat's indication. Then, our team of human de-miners go in and deactivate/remove the mine.

[UncleDomesticPenis]

rats would do anything for foods

[latiasandlatios4ever]

cute.

[sevendarkdays]

I wonder if they ever pretend digg just to get a treat.

Rats are sneaky animals

[nflpanthersrock]

nah they aren't making him make them set off.....he's just sniffing it out

[evilunixuser1]

Well, this dude aint too bright - if the animal DID step on a landmine, he'd go up along with the rat

[Achatina]

It DOES step on the landmine. BUT a animal of THAT size are not enough weight for it to explode. A dog would probably make it explode but not a rat.

[pdonyin0]

Land mine only go off when something heavy enough step on it, If a tiny thing like that rat can blow it up, then that defeats the purpose of the mines.

[evilunixuser1]

better him than me

[viperscout]

Rofl, that just made my day.

[Sam456stu]

That looks like more of a possum to me..

[Achatina]

Do possum lives in africa? o.O No that is a gambian hamster rat (they have a better name for it)..

[beautiful18bryana]

its a pouch rat . African pouch rat. lol ive never heard anyone call it a hamster rat O.o lol my friend used to have one they get to be like the size of a cat and they have temper tantrums lol

[jackeroo02]

rats can get pretty damn big sometimes

[Jaymar6]

That's one BIG rat!

[Achatina]

It looks just like a baby, of that spiece of animal :P The adult ones are/looks a bit bigger

[pixxa37]

Clever little fella

[stevoni1980]

LOve it!