‘I have a nose’: How rats could save wildlife – How do they sound the alarm when they spot the findings? What studies have shown
Although it is debatable whether the African giant rat is cute or not, no one can deny the impressive power of its nose.
Tanzania-based nonprofit APOPO has already demonstrated the ability of the cat-sized rodents, which it calls “HeroRATs,” to spot landmines, tuberculosis and even survivors among the rubble in disaster zones.
Last month #Carolinaour dedicated #HeroRAT analyzed 1,902 sputum samples with an overall 90.4% accuracy. She detected 42 previously missed #tuberculosis patients, enabling them to start treatment.#APOPO #AfricanGiantPouchedRat #APOPOHeroes #StopTB pic.twitter.com/iH0Hzplee8
— APOPO (@herorats) September 24, 2024
‘Walkies’ – where we allow the #HeroRATs to choose when & where to go, so they build confidence outside of their detection training sessions, ensuring they feel safe & focused when learning how to save lives with their powerful nose. #APOPO #africangiantpouchedrat #scentdetection pic.twitter.com/rIuOh2xKHo
— APOPO (@herorats) October 29, 2024
But now the organization is turning its attention (and its rat noses) to the global illegal wildlife trade, CNN reports.
It is estimated to be worth up to $23 billion annually. Wildlife trafficking is the world’s fourth largest illegal trade industry – after the trafficking of ‘monkey’ products, drugs and people.
“Wildlife is considered a low-risk commodity,” says Crawford Allan, vice president for wildlife crime at WWF USA, who has more than 30 years of experience in wildlife crime. “Unfortunately, organized crime knows that there is a real weak point in their methods of detecting ports, seaports and airports, particularly in Africa.”
Traffickers manage to “cover” wildlife products in a number of ways, he explains. Ivory, for example, can be stained to look like wood, hidden inside crop shipments and even cut into chocolate-coated pieces and wrapped in packaging – all in an attempt to “slip” through visual checks and x-ray detectors.
Smelling the crime
This is exactly what rats and their keen sense of smell can help with. According to new research led by APOPO and published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, rats were successfully trained in a research facility to smell elephant tusks, rhino horns, pangolin scales (which cover its skin) and African ebony – which the Allan, who is not involved in the research, says they are some of the most common wildlife products trafficked from Africa.
Dr Izzy Szott, a behavioral researcher leading the project, suggests using rats as a “complementary tool”. Dogs are already being used to detect wildlife smuggling. Being “very small and agile,” rats have the upper hand in a densely packed container, he explains.
Unlike dogs, rats are willing to work with multiple trainers and, largely because of their smaller size, are much cheaper to train, maintain and transport, Szott claims. This is particularly important given that much of the illegal wildlife trade comes from some of the world’s poorest regions.
APOPO’s trained HeroDOGs are experts at sniffing out landmines, providing a reliable and efficient solution to this deadly problem. Our dogs save lives and help clear land for safe use: https://t.co/oHTWkT73fP #HeroDOGs #MineDetection #APOPO pic.twitter.com/YSZpFFVPqe
— APOPO (@herorats) October 19, 2024
Allan identifies cost as the main issue in tracking trafficked wildlife products, arguing that “we need to find some cheaper, more sustainable solutions to track” them in Africa. He adds that improving detection methods increases the risk to illegal wildlife traders – which, in turn, raises trade prices and shrinks demand. “I’m hoping that (using rats) to detect wildlife will be a low-cost, high-impact, low-footprint venture,” Allan says.
Kate Webb, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University in North Carolina and one of the lead authors of the study, tells CNN that one of the biggest advantages of using rats is their relatively short training time. “There has also been interest in wildlife detection rats from Singapore and France,” she added.
How do they notify when they find the findings?
Testing these research findings in the real world, APOPO last year conducted a proof-of-concept study at the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, which handles 95% of the country’s international trade. APOPO says the rats found over 83% of the planted targets, even when the objects were hidden and impregnated with scented products. Once a rat recognizes a target, it alerts its trainer by using its front paws to pull a small ball attached to a custom-made neoprene vest, which makes a sound.
Published Today! APOPO’s HeroRATs can detect illegal wildlife products, as shown in a new study. This breakthrough offers hope in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Read more: https://t.co/QQ3Ijh1oOd #WildlifeConservation #HeroRATs pic.twitter.com/3IzWccN1h6
— APOPO (@herorats) October 30, 2024
APOPO’s #HeroRATs are trained using #ClickerTraining! A “click” sound is paired with a food reward, teaching them to associate the sound with treats.
Thank you to @BelgiumMFA🇧🇪 for generously supporting our life-saving work! #APOPO #FutureHeroes #PositiveReinforcement pic.twitter.com/Nw8G7bRLQm
— APOPO (@herorats) October 22, 2024
Illegal wildlife trade not only affects the populations of the animals or plants being trafficked, but can have devastating consequences for entire ecosystems. Studies show that consuming illegally traded wildlife can also lead to the spread of zoonotic diseases, such as Ebola, monkeypox and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Smart, curious students
African giant rats have an average lifespan of about 8 years, so training them for a year is a worthwhile long-term investment, Szott says. The year includes training Monday through Friday, regularly interspersed with playtime in a large playhouse filled with rope and wheel toys.
Full Cheek Friday with Trainer Pendo and HeroRAT Pacome 🍉🍌 – Pacome’s cheeks are full of watermelon and banana as he enjoys his well-deserved treat!#APOPO #HeroRATs #apopoherorats #africangiantpouchedrat #rats #weekend #weekendvibes pic.twitter.com/r0dGeDqTqC
— APOPO (@herorats) October 18, 2024
Rats’ high level of intelligence and curiosity make them good learners, he explains: “If you need to get them to do something new, you just throw them in there (in a training area) and wait for them to figure it out. “
Like people, each rat has a different character, he adds: “You have animals that get it right on the first try, and you may have animals that take a little time, but then become absolute superstars once they figure it out.”
Although this research is still in its early stages, APOPO hopes it will develop in a similar fashion to its previous projects. The team plans to conduct further operational trials with the trained rats at Dar es Salaam port and airport. The next steps will focus on optimizing growth strategies – looking at how the rats perform when under high demand, Szott says.
She is confident that the rats are up to the challenge, stating that what they have shown so far in rats, they did.
Source: Skai
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