More On The Heroic Rats

Here’s more on the heroic rats who are saving lives by sniffing out landmines:

A CNN report: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/26/world/africa/hero-rats-sniff-out-landmines-and-tb/

Some excerpts:

Despite the creatures’ reputation for thieving and spreading disease, Weetjens has proven that rats can be every bit as heroic as people. Contrary to public opinion, rats can actually save lives — Apopo’s rats have actually saved thousands.

From vermin to heroes

Weetjens’ rodents have many talents. Mostly, though, they are highly trained to sniff out land mines and detect tuberculosis — two scourges that have had a tremendously negative impact across the African continent.

From the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/mar/05/heroic-giant-rats-sniff-out-landmines-in-tanzania

Some excerpts:

Trust in the rats is vital, according to Tim Edwards, Apopo’s head of training and behavioural research. In the rare event that one of the animals repeatedly proves itself unable to master the techniques of mine detection, it is withdrawn from training but kept on as a playmate for its more successful peers.

It is indeed heartening to know that rats who do not qualify as sniffer-rats are kept as playmates for its peers.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with the proprietor of a grocery store years ago when I asked him what happens to the chickens who lay the “unfertilised free-range eggs” that he sells, when they are no longer able to produce eggs. He said the chickens would be sent for slaughter. I was aghast and said this was terribly unfair to which he replied it was not “economically viable” to continue maintaining the chickens. So I stopped buying his eggs after that.

A few months ago, I found out that this store now takes eggs from a local farmer with whom I am personally acquainted. And Ivan (that’s his name), lets all his chickens live on on his farm when they are old, he does not send them for slaughter. And the proprietor proudly tells me now, there’s only one supplier in our area who supplies “real” organic eggs and that’s Ivan. Bravo to Ivan!

So, if you buy unfertilised free-range eggs, do consider checking the source.

Now, back to our heroic rats:

“Currently, there’s a lot of interest in sniffing for cancer. We’ve also been contacted about hypoglycemia and some other medical applications. There’s so much potential; it’s just a matter of finding the time and the resources to investigate it.”

For now, Weetjens sees the animals as miniature, but potent, agents of development. By diagnosing TB and helping to get farmers and communities back on to land long denied them, he says, the rats are playing an important part in social transformation and local empowerment.

And this is important, it’s about the 14th century Black Death in Europe:

“For many people it’s a logical jump,” he says. “It clearly shows what the prevailing opinion about rats is: since the Middle Ages, they have generally been seen as vermin and transmitters of plague – for which, by the way, they were not responsible. It was the fleas on the rats – and people – that transmitted the plague, not the rats.”

In fact, he adds, rats have always had a symbiotic relationship with humanity. “In a way, we should be grateful to them for cleaning up our mess or at least take some responsibility for their profusion: they eat the garbage we produce.”

So, to local authorities that insist on killing rats in townships, it may be wiser to channel your resources to cleaning up the filthy drains or imposing stricter by-laws and closer monitoring on eateries, food hawkers or other humans who throw food waste into drains. Please don’t blame the rats; they are only eating the garbage we produce.

This sums it up for our heroic rats:

“In Mozambique, people fought, they laid mines and then they shook hands and went away,” he says. “But they left all those mines behind and they killed farmers. Now our rats are clearing the land and helping people use it again. To me, they are just heroes.”

The moral behind the Pied Piper of Hamelin: https://myanimalcare.org/2011/12/23/the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-and-chief-seattle/

What goes around, comes around.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2015/05/30/more-on-the-heroic-rats/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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