Giant African rats, which weigh 1.5-2 kg and are 3-4 times larger than brown rats, could be used to fight illegal wildlife trafficking, according to a study published last month by the non-profit organization APOPO. Native to the savannas of southern Africa, these giant rats, also known as ‘hero rats’ to those who train them, have been used to detect deadly land mines and tuberculosis pathogens in samples. Scientists now believe they can be trained to identify illegally trafficked wildlife by detecting scent.
The study, conducted in Morogoro, Tanzania, in East Africa between December 2017 and December 2021, showed that giant rats successfully detected elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, pangolin scales and African hardwood samples, even when in close proximity to these wildlife. The products were mixed with non-target items. ,
“Scent-detecting animals present an innovative approach to combating illegal wildlife trade, as animals may be better suited to distinguish between organic substances and less susceptible to visual concealment methods,” the study said. Are sensitive.”
It said existing methods of combating illegal wildlife trade and screening these shipping containers, such as X-ray scans, were expensive and time-consuming. According to a report discover wildlifeIt takes about $30,000 to train a dog while airport scanners can cost between $30,000 and $1.2 million. However, it only costs $8,000 to train one detection rat.
Additionally, rats are not as picky about their handlers as dogs who often work with the same handler. According to senior research scientist Isabelle Szot, one of the study’s co-authors, the light weight of the giant rats is also “an important aspect for wildlife product detection as we move rats into high places such as shipping air ventilation systems.” Can.” Container”.
“In other words, they can go where dogs can’t,” he said.
Despite the study’s success, the scientists said, “further research is needed to establish deployment feasibility”. For the outdoor tests, the rats would need to wear a custom-made vest with a small ball on the front that would emit a beeping sound. When the rat wants to alert its handler about a suspicious target, it will use its front paws to pull the ball and make a call.
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illegal wildlife trade
The illegal wildlife trade is considered to be the fourth largest international crime economy, valued at between $7–23 billion dollars and is closely linked to crimes such as money laundering, corruption and trafficking in drugs, weapons and/or human beings .
Additionally, the spread of zoonotic diseases is commonly associated with unregulated illegal trade of species across countries, leading to public health emergencies such as the novel coronavirus pandemic.
