Забудьте про собак: ці щури можуть стати майбутнім рятувальним інструментом

Belgian nonprofit APOPO has been training African giant pouched rats for 20 years to sniff out tuberculosis and detect land mines. Now, the rats are being trained for search and rescue missions. Donna Kean, a member of APOPO, says that rats have a comparable sense of smell to dogs and are just as trainable. They are also able to penetrate areas with dense rubble and debris that dogs cannot reach. The rats are trained to pull a rubber ball on their backpack, which is attached to a microswitch that emits a beep that signals rescuers. The rats are released into debris sites from multiple entry points and can cover an area of about 10 to 30 meters. APOPO’s mission is focused on humanitarian projects, so this is a great way to build local capacity.. (Based on a 362-word text)