Rats Clear Landmines

[3rd Herd]

Would rats be heavy enough to detonate a mine, even while digging?

The methods currently used in mine clearance have drawbacks.

Metal detectors are very slow and tedious because they pick up every single metal fragment in a suspected minefield.

"The de-miner has to approach every little piece of garbage with the same caution that he has to approach a landmine, so you can imagine where that leaves you," Weetjens said.

Of the 26,000 pieces of metal detected so far on the minefield in Vilanculos, only 74 turned out to be landmines.

After World War Two dogs emerged as the most reliable detection method, able to sniff out even those mines buried 15 to 20 cm below ground, which a metal detector will miss.

The pouched rat combines a dog's nose without its bulk.

Growing to a maximum weight of 2.8 kilograms it can scamper around a minefield without the risk of detonating anti-personnel gadgets that can be triggered by its heavier canine colleague.

The rats are attached to little red harnesses and guided down the length of a 100-square-metre field by their trainer. When the rat hits on a suspected mine, it stops, sniffs and starts to scratch.


Source:

African rat sniffs out Mozambique landmines: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200501/s1282859.htm

Sniffer rats to find African mines http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3123119.stm

Why using rats?:  http://www.apopo.org/whyrats/

 

[aesop081]

Metal detectors are very slow and tedious because they pick up every single metal fragment in a suspected minefield.

On my first tour, it got to the point where i started getting worried about mines when the mine detector STOPED beeping

 

[Hawk]

I had the opportunity to talk to an exterminator today - I have some interesting friends! We were talking about the rats detecting mines, and he said squirrels could do the same thing - but people like squirrels-unless you've had them in your house, or you were working in  downtown Winnipeg---4 summers ago (?), and witnessed the results of The Great Squirrel Incident.

I wasn't there, so this tale is second hand. There's a building right next to a Japanese garden with big trees in it, and its full of squirrels. The kids who work in the call centre in the building feed them. The story goes that a squirrel got into the electrical system and started snacking on wiring insulation, electrocuting himself, and shutting off the power to a good part of down town Winnipeg. The only people I ever found who were happy about the whole episode were the call center kids who got an unexpected day off!


Hawk

 

[3rd Herd]

talk about "Battleschool"
The usual disclaimer:
Rats and cats work together in Colombia, sniffing out landmines
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 | 7:33 PM ET
Canadian Press: CESAR GARCIA
For the past year, a special Colombian police unit has been locking rats in cages with cats as part of a project to train the rodents to sniff out the more than 100,000 landmines planted mostly by leftist rebels across this conflict-racked Andean country.

Bringing the rats face to face with an enemy allows them to stay more focused once they are released, veterinarian Luisa Mendez, who's been working with the animals for two years, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The rodents are taught to freeze in front of mines, but had difficulty staying put for fear of being attacked by predators.

"Here the cats play with the rats instead of attacking them," Mendez said. "The cats wear shields on their nails so they can't cause any injuries and as a result the rats feel comfortable playing around them."

Col. Javier Cifuentes, who oversees the project, said the rats' success rate in mine detection is 96 per cent. Unlike dogs, the rats weigh a lot less and therefore don't trigger explosions.

Colombia is home to the world's largest number of landmine victims. Last year, there were 1,108 victims, or about one every eight hours, the government says. Nearly a quarter of the victims die from their injuries.

 

[Hawk]

I have this picture in my head of my cat in a cage with a rat, paws shielded, and her hissing, spitting, and growling, and trying her best to intimidate the rat while beating it senseless with her paws. What stops the cat, or the rat, for that matter, biting? Do they muzzle them? This I would have to see! Ever tried to give a PILL to a cat?  ;D

If letting cats and rats play together works, okay, and I have no basis to dispute it, except knowledge of how my own moggie operates.


Hawk

 

[geo]

From a personal perspective, a cat needs no claw to "make it's mark".
My sister had a cat that was declawed.... AKA "FANG" - it still went outside & continuously brought home gifts... birds, field mice, etc...... (though it didn't climb trees all that well)

 

[Hawk]

Exactly! My moggie's a 'fraidie-cat, but she has growling hissie-fits if any other animal is within sight of her! I think my sympathy would be with the rat - he wouldnn't stand a chance!!


Hawk

 

[3rd Herd]

Continuing somewhat off topic:
Picture
A  Ferret being chased by a cat being chased by a Bouvier being chased by another Bouvier down a hallway into a bedroom.
Loud noises of collision and the hiss from........ :evil:
A Bouvier reappears hind legs going past it's ear; a second Bouvier bursts into sight heading for the sound barrier down the hallway, being piloted by the Ferret hanging on for dear life on it's back.
The cat appears and sits in the doorway and proceeds to clean her claws.

 

[GK .Dundas]

I'm  rather upset my the use of these poor  animals for this. could'nt we just use lawyers instead?

 

[Bearpaw]

Has anyone considered Chihuahua dogs for this role?  They are liight(2.5-4kg) and are probably a lot easier to train than rats!

Bearpaw

 

[3rd Herd]

Has anyone considered Chihuahua dogs for this role?  They are liight(2.5-4kg) and are probably a lot easier to train than rats!

Bearpaw

No rats have better sense of smell, are smarter and can be trained quicker than dogs. They also reproduce quicker and are cheaper.

 

[Mike Baker]

No rats have better sense of smell, are smarter and can be trained quicker than dogs. They also reproduce quicker and are cheaper.

And Paris Hilton(or anyone else for that matter) won't care if a rat found a landmine by accident versus a chihuahua