Thousands of people – many of them children – are hurt or killed by land mines each year, so finding these devices before they explode is critical.
Thousands of people – many of them children – are hurt or killed by land mines each year, so finding these devices before they explode is critical.
There is a surprising champion of detection: the African giant pouched rat. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the pouched rats are large – they can grow up to 3 feet long, including the tail – but are still too small to set off the land mines. They have an exceptional sense of smell – they are also used to detect tuberculosis – but scientists know very little about their biology or social structure, and they’re difficult to breed in captivity.
“We wanted to understand their reproductive behaviors and olfactory capabilities, because they have been so important in humanitarian work,” said Alex Ophir, assistant professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Read more at Cornell University
Image via Pixabay
