Dr. Donna Kean is a research scientist from Scotland with APOPO, training African giant pouched rats on search and rescue and other lifesaving projects and she has spent the past ten months training rats for search and rescue at APOPO\u2019s research site in Tanzania.\u00a0 APOPO\u00a0 The training started in August 2021 and is progressing.<\/p>\n
On average, the rats<\/a> took 14 sessions to reliably return to the base point within 3 seconds of the beep in stage one, and 10 sessions to pull the ball for 3 seconds in stage two. She says, “Our most proficient rats were already reliably performing the basic behavioral sequence (go to the victim, pull the ball, and return to base point) within seven sessions in the third stage. So far, all nine rats have mastered stages one and two; six have reliably learned the entire sequence.<\/p>\n She said, “The giant pouched rats are endemic here in Tanzania, where we\u2019ve had a land mine detection program with them for 20 years. We have all the training facilities in place, and we have amazing trainers who are local. APOPO\u2019s mission is focused on humanitarian projects, so this is a great way to build local capacity.”<\/p>\n She said, “I train these clever creatures to save victims trapped in collapsed buildings after earthquakes. We kit them out with a rat backpack and train them to trigger a switch when they find a victim & come back for a tasty treat.”<\/p>\n I train these clever creatures to save victims trapped in collapsed buildings after earthquakes. We kit them out with a rat backpack, and train them to trigger a switch when they find a victim & come back for a tasty treat \ud83d\udc00#herosnotpests<\/a> #science<\/a> #weirdjobs<\/a> #WomenInSTEM<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/728IQv70NX<\/a><\/p>\n — Dr Donna Kean (@donnaeilidhkean) May 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n