How often do you think about landmines? I've heard about the landmine problems in news stories from time to time, maybe on a news program in the States, but here in Mozambique the problem is real. We see people everyday that have been injured by landmine explosions. We recently went to visit an organization that has a unique way of finding and deactivating landmines. The orgainazation is called APOPO and is a program that Belgian and Tanzanian researchers have put togather. They do is train African Giant Pouch Rats to search and find landmines...by smell . The rats are trained to detect the scent of TNT, and when they do, they will scratch the ground. The trainer then flags that area and a removal crew comes in to detnate it safely. The rats are not heavy enought to set the mine off so no need to worry about loosing one that way. Check out there web sight http://www.herorat.org/ there is also a video on line you can watch. It's a Frontline stoy about the rats. If you go to http://www.pbs.org/ and search frontline hero rat you should find it. Check it out.
The rats are huge...about the size of a cat. They have really long noses and even longer tails. We visited the place where they are kept and trained in Inhambane. There were about 20 or so at the station at that time. When they go to train, they go out to a field where there are low lines runnning parallel along the length of the field. There are inactivated mines buried there. The rats are attached to the lines by a collar around their neck, and then they are coaxed to the other end of the field by food. So they toddle along, on a leash basically, and weave back and forth until they catch the TNT scent. All of the demining efforts are funded by foreign organizations that work in multiple countries. While we were talking to some of the trainers...they mentioned that some of the rats are being trained to detect people with TB(by smell!). They have the rats working at ports to detect people coming from other places by boat that may have TB. Until next time, CHEERS.
The rats are huge...about the size of a cat. They have really long noses and even longer tails. We visited the place where they are kept and trained in Inhambane. There were about 20 or so at the station at that time. When they go to train, they go out to a field where there are low lines runnning parallel along the length of the field. There are inactivated mines buried there. The rats are attached to the lines by a collar around their neck, and then they are coaxed to the other end of the field by food. So they toddle along, on a leash basically, and weave back and forth until they catch the TNT scent. All of the demining efforts are funded by foreign organizations that work in multiple countries. While we were talking to some of the trainers...they mentioned that some of the rats are being trained to detect people with TB(by smell!). They have the rats working at ports to detect people coming from other places by boat that may have TB. Until next time, CHEERS.
4 comments:
hey skaggs family!
just wanted you to know that melody and i think about you and sure miss you guys. i've been tracking your adventures through jonathan's postings on facebook but just wanted all of you to know you are in our prayers as you are there. i must say, as i read through the "lagoon coast" part of the adventure i was a little envious. all of our best to you - scott
We are grateful the rats weren't included in our tour of Maputo :-)
Bruce and Rika Diephouse
I've known a rat or two in my time I'd volunteer for this job! Just kidding. Great story. Also loved the photo album that I finally checked out today.
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