Taylor Swift, earthquakes and land mines? | Office of Science and Society

At 12:51pm on February 22, 2011, the world collapsed for the people of Christchurch, New Zealand. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city, killing 185 people and injuring thousands more. This quake was an aftershock of a more severe but much less deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the area six months earlier on September 4, 2010. An aftershock is a typically small (in this case, not very small) earthquake that occurs in response to additional stress placed on nearby rocks as a result of the sudden breaking of the ground during the initial quake. Often, although not as severe, these aftershocks disrupt rescue and rebuilding efforts.

What distinguishes the February 2011 earthquake from the September 2010 earthquake is the sheer number of buildings and structures that collapsed. Most of the people who died in the 2011 earthquake were in these collapsed buildings. However, not everyone trapped in the collapsed structures died. This is largely due to the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) search dogs deployed in the city. These dogs are superior to humans in their ability to traverse the depth of rubble, and in their superior sense of smell. These dogs were able to locate a number of individuals, and saved their lives. In fact, Diesel, a Springer Spaniel known for its site-finding efforts in response to that earthquake, was deployed in response to the Nepal earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people four years later.

As it turns out, it’s not just dogs that can be deployed for this type of work. In fact, in March 2024, I had the pleasure of visiting the headquarters of a company that trains rats to do just that, and even trains rats to detect land mines. APOPO, located in Morogoro, Tanzania, is a Belgian NGO that uses animals and other living organisms to promote solutions to issues such as landmine detection and search and rescue efforts. During this visit, my colleagues and I witnessed firsthand the different stages of training that the mice undergo to detect land mines.

From Ziggy to HeroRAT

APOPO rats, also known as HeroRATs, begin their training at five weeks old. The first step in their training is socialization. During this process, the mice are brought around the training facility and are introduced to different spaces, sounds and smells as well as the different handlers who will be training them. After the HeroRATs pass their socialization tests, they continue with basic clicker training. In this 10-week stage, they learn to associate the clicking sound with a reward. This is the basis of landmine training where they are tasked with sniffing out the scent of the target.

Pictures of APOPO’s HeroRATS cages.

Once the HeroRATs understand that a clicker equals a tasty treat (scary-looking banana mush), they are trained to differentiate between everyday odors and target odors — in this case, the smell of TNT. In the early stages of this stage, the odors given to the mice are very strong. As training continues, the odors become weaker, and the phantom odors are integrated into the training area which also grows at the same time.

Why mice?

The southern giant rat, which is native to sub-Saharan Africa, is used for several reasons. Due to their highly developed sense of smell, widespread availability, weight (relative to land mines), and lifespan of 6 to 8 years, these mice have proven to be the most reliable champions.

Using HeroRATs to detect landmines in the field is a much better alternative to metal detectors. When searching for land mines, metal detectors often detect harmless scrap metal which affects the efficiency of the technology. Because the rats are trained to smell landmines exclusively, they greatly speed up the scanning process. APOPO estimates that mice double the operational efficiency of the process. In addition, in places with heavy pollution and limited resources, the use of rats is more necessary. APOPO’s HeroRAT devices can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes. Searching the same area with a metal detector would take 4 days.

Beyond landmines

Given the success of APOPO’s HeroRATs, the organization has expanded its reach into other forms of work. Originally initiated by offsetting APOPO’s carbon emissions, the HeroTREEs project has shown huge potential to regenerate agroecosystems. By establishing its teaching centers at the Sokweni University of Agriculture, APOPO brings in local community members and teaches them sustainable farming and agriculture methods that not only allow ecosystems to flourish, but also improve food security in surrounding areas.

When it comes to mice, let’s just say it’s hard for them to shake the reputation that came before them. For me, I have a personal vendetta against these furry creatures, having grown up in New York City. Seeing rats running across train tracks and onto crowded sidewalks never fails to send a shiver down your spine. In fact, many regions around the world have worked tirelessly to be declared “rat-free.” The largest rat-free place on Earth inhabited by humans is located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Now, that’s the beauty of using dogs in search and rescue efforts! They are man’s best friend after all!

@‌EvaKellner

Eva Kellner is a recent graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, with a major in Environment. Her research interests include urban green spaces, urban agriculture, and outdoor community spaces – all of which work to promote climate resilience among city dwellers.

Part of the OSS’s mandate is to promote scholarly communication and critical thinking in our students and the public. We hope you enjoy these pieces from our student contributors and welcome any feedback you may have!

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