Mice carrying small backpacks are being trained to help earthquake victims

Rats are being trained to be sent to earthquake wreckage wearing small backpacks – so rescue teams can talk to survivors. The innovative project is being worked on by researcher Dr Donna Keane, 33, from Glasgow.

So far, seven rats have been trained, and it only took them two weeks to reach speed. At the moment, prototypes of homemade backpacks that have a microphone are used, and scientists send them to a mock wreck.

Specialized backpacks containing microphones and video equipment as well as location trackers will be created to allow rescue teams to communicate with survivors during real earthquakes. Donna has resided in Morogoro, Tanzania, East Africa, for one year, and works with the non-profit organization APOPO for a project called Hero Rats.

The ferrets will have a chance to work in the field when sent to earthquake-prone Turkey to work with the GAE search and rescue team. Donna, who studied ecology at the University of Strathclyde before earning her MA at the University of Kent and her PhD at the University of Stirling, was originally interested in primate behavior.

Rat trainer Moshi rewards Daniel the rat (Photo: APOPO/SWNS)

But she was fascinated by how quickly mice can learn and train, and she said it was a misconception that they were unhealthy. She described them as “social” creatures, and believed the work being done would save lives.

A total of 170 rats are trained on projects involving landmines and tuberculosis, and it is hoped that the rats will be able to sniff out brucellosis, an infectious disease of livestock. Rats are so smart that they never detonate a landmine, and their agility makes them ideal for use in disaster areas.

Donna said, “The rats can get into the small spaces to get to the victims buried under the rubble. We weren’t in a real situation yet, we had a mock location of the wreckage.”

“When we get the new backpacks, we’ll be able to listen to where we are and where the rat is, inside the wreck. We have the ability to talk to the victims through the rat.”

The rodents are trained to respond to the whistle that brings them back to base.

Phineas Curia, Joe Rat, and Dr. Donna Keane (Photo: APOPO/SWNS)

Donna added, “The associate is a seamstress, she makes backpacks, and she’s very talented. We get custom-made backpacks that will have video recorders, microphones and a location transmitter.”

“It’s quite unusual. They are very agile, and they are very good at navigating through all different types of environments.

“They are perfect for search and rescue. They can live on anything.

“They are very good at surviving in different environments which shows their suitability for search and rescue work.”

Dogs have been used for similar purposes but mice have an advantage due to their small size and flexibility. Donna added: “They are very trainable, the first stage is training them back to baseline – they respond to a whistle.

“There is a misconception that they are dirty and unhealthy. We take good care of them, they are social animals.

“Hopefully it will be implemented, we are partnering with a search and rescue team in Turkey.

“It will just be a case once there is an earthquake, transportation is arranged. We are the only organization that works with this species, and there are other organizations that train dogs.

“We hope it saves lives, and the results are really promising.”

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