Rats wearing backpacks could rescue quake victims
IT’S AN unlikely transformation from vermin to rescuers, but rats are being trained to locate earthquake victims.
Rodents wearing tiny backpacks containing a microphone have been taught to explore rubble and find trapped survivors so emergency teams can talk to them.
The project is the brainchild of research scientist Dr Donna Kean, 33, from Glasgow. Seven rats have been trained – taking just two weeks to learn their task.
She said they would soon get more specialist backpacks, adding: ‘A colleague is a seamstress, she makes the backpacks.
‘We are getting custom-made backpacks which will have video recorders, microphones and a location transmitter.’
She came up with her Hero Rats idea while working in Tanzania for Apopo, a non-profit organisation.
The rodents will soon get the chance to work in the field when they are sent to Turkey, which is prone to earthquakes, to work with a real search and rescue team.
Dr Kean said: ‘Rats would be able to get into small spaces to get to victims buried in rubble. We have not been in a real situation yet – we have a mock debris site.
‘When we get the new backpacks we will be able to hear where the rat is inside the debris. We have the potential to speak to victims through the rat.
‘They are so agile – very good at surviving in different environments, which shows how suitable they are for search and rescue. We hope it will save lives.’
A total of 170 rats are being trained for projects that also include detecting landmines and using their sense of smell to identify TB in a batch of lab samples.