HeroRATS: Cheeky rodents sniff out landmines to save lives and limbs
![](https://rtd.rt.com/files/stories/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/30-b.jpg)
- Giant African pouched rats are being bred to detect explosives by a Tanzania based NGO.
- They are nicknamed HeroRATs.
- Their intelligence and sharp sense of smell make them perfect for sniffing out landmines.
- The cute hamster-like rodents are social animals that work well with humans.
- Their work saves many lives and limbs and allows land to be restored.
- An RTD film crew met a baby HeroRAT named Isaac when he was in training.
- After graduating, he and his siblings were sent to places like Vietnam, Lao PDR, Angola, and Cambodia.
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A non-governmental organisation based in Tanzania called APOPO (Anti-Personnel Landmines Removal Product Development) is breeding giant African pouched rats to detect explosives.
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Their large cheek pouches (hence the name “pouched rats”) give them a hamster-like appearance.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 2-29-br.jpg)
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Nicknamed HeroRATs, the cute rodents are social animals that work well with humans.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 16-28-br.jpg)
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 14-11-br.jpg)
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An RTD film crew met a HeroRAT named Isaac when he was a baby.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 0-8-br.jpg)
He and his siblings were undergoing APOPO training, learning all the ins and outs of detecting explosives.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 3-10-br.jpg)
After graduating, the rodents are sent to places like Vietnam, Lao PDR, and Angola.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 5-12-br.jpg)
Isaac was sent to Cambodia, which suffers from more landmine accidents than any other country.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 12-13-br.jpg)
Millions of dormant landmines there pose a threat to locals and tourists alike, which hurts the country’s development and economic growth.
![](/files/info/herorats-cheeky-rodents-sniff-out/HD_Rats 19-9-br.jpg)
To see HeroRATs in action, watch Isaac: The Story of a Little Giant on RTD.