Meet the Rescue Rats Training to Find Disaster Survivors

A team of rats wearing tiny backpacks is currently training for an important mission - finding survivors trapped in rubble after disasters. This special 7-rat squad is expected to be ready for real search and rescue operations next year.

High-Tech Backpacks Help Rats Communicate

During missions, these clever animals will wear smart backpacks packed with helpful tools. Each pack contains location tracking, cameras, and two-way microphones. The rats are trained to flip a switch on their backpack when they find someone. This tells rescuers that a survivor has been found and marks the exact spot.

The microphones in these smart backpacks will let trapped people talk to rescue teams. The cameras will help teams see the situation and plan the best way to get people out safely.

Small Size Means Big Advantages

There's a good reason for using rats in rescue work. These animals are small and can move quickly through tight spaces. They can search areas that humans and even dogs can't reach. This makes them perfect for finding people in collapsed buildings.

Training Process and Working Life

Each rescue rat needs 9 to 12 months of training before they're ready for real missions. The current team is almost finished with their training program.

The rescue team uses African giant pouched rats, which typically live about 8 years. These rats will work as long as they want to and can perform well. Once they stop working, they get to enjoy a comfortable retirement with plenty of exercise, mental challenges, and regular health check-ups.

APOPO's History of Rat Heroes

The nonprofit organization behind this project is called APOPO. They have years of experience training rats for life-saving work. Their rat teams have already been used to find dangerous landmines. Rats are perfect for this job because they have excellent noses and are light enough that they won't trigger the mines.

APOPO's rats have also been trained to detect tuberculosis. Their quick and accurate work helps more people get treatment early, when it works best.

These hero rats show that sometimes the smallest helpers can make the biggest difference in saving lives.