Dr. Donna Kean is training rats to save victims in collapsed buildings after earthquakes and her endeavor is proving successful.
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’s research site in Tanzania. APOPO The training started in August 2021 and is progressing.
On average, the rats 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.
She said, “The giant pouched rats are endemic here in Tanzania, where we’ve 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’s mission is focused on humanitarian projects, so this is a great way to build local capacity.”
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.”
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 🐀#herosnotpests #science #weirdjobs #WomenInSTEM pic.twitter.com/728IQv70NX
— Dr Donna Kean (@donnaeilidhkean) May 26, 2022
When asked why she sent rats into the rubble instead of dogs, she answered, “Rats have a comparable sense of smell, and they’re just as trainable as dogs. They also aren’t tied to just one trainer, which is what you find with dogs. And their size is useful because they will be able to penetrate into areas with dense rubble and debris that dogs just wouldn’t be able to. The life span of our rats in captivity is roughly 8 years but we have rats that have lived up to 10 to 11 years in retirement.”
On the whole, rat lovers say rats make wonderful pets, not only because they are incredibly affectionate and form close bonds with their owners, but also because they are exceptionally smart and enjoy learning. In general, rats are happier and less likely to become bored when they are interacting with their human caretakers or with other rat-mates.
Rat lovers advise if you are considering a pet rat, you should plan to spend some time each day with your pet so that he or she is well-socialized and mentally stimulated. If you handle your pet rat every day and reward them with small treats, they will feel comfortable with you and will trust you.
Once you have established this bond of trust with your rat, they will be more receptive to learning new behaviors. Why did we not hear more about these wonderful rescue rats before? So bat for a rat as a new pet next time!