Overview
- African giant pouched rats are being trained in Tanzania to sniff out illegal wildlife products like ivory and rhino horns.
- The rats possess a highly developed sense of smell, allowing them to identify smuggled items even when hidden among other substances.
- A study showed that trained rats could distinguish target scents from 146 non-target substances, demonstrating their potential effectiveness.
- These rodents are already used for detecting landmines and tuberculosis, and their training for wildlife detection is a cost-effective alternative to current methods.
- The next phase involves testing the rats' abilities in real-world conditions, such as ports, where they could signal discoveries using specially designed vests.