Researchers at Apopo have successfully trained eight African giant pouched rats to detect contraband items, including rhino horn and pangolin scales, even when they are hidden among everyday products. The rats were initially incentivized with food pellets for indicating the presence of these items by holding their noses over the samples for three seconds. They wore small red vests attached to leashes with beepers that allowed them to signal their handlers upon discovery, earning additional food rewards. :


Training Method:
The rats were trained to identify pangolin scales, wood, and rhino horn using food pellets as incentives.

Memory and Accuracy:
After an eight-month period without exposure to the target scents, the rats demonstrated an impressive ability to accurately identify these items, suggesting a memory for scents comparable to that of trained sniffer dogs.

Practical Testing:
In 2023, the rats underwent practical testing in a simulated environment at the port of Es Sala, Tanzania, where they successfully detected 85% of the illegal wildlife samples, even when concealed within shipping container vents.

Conservation Impact:
The rats may emerge as a novel tool in the battle against the trafficking of endangered species, given the significant revenue generated by the illicit wildlife trade, estimated at up to $20 billion annually.

Reliability Concerns:
The researchers cautioned that their findings regarding elephant ivory might not be reliable, as it had been stored alongside rhino horn, which the rats had been specifically trained to recognize.

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