New recruits are trained at Colombian National Police base near Bogota to become top bomb sniffers. Instead dogs, now the police can use rats to detect explosives.
cnn reports :
During a recent training session, trainers set the white rat on a patch of grass where they had hidden an explosive device underground. It took the rat less than a minute to find it. The rodent was showered with praise. Its trainers also gave it its favorite reward, a treat.
In the past, Colombian police used bomb-sniffing dogs; but the dogs’ weight would often trigger the explosives. That’s not a problem for lab rats that weigh slightly less than a pound.
And according to the trainers, their sense of smell is just as good as a dog’s.
Officials with the Colombian National Police say they expect to take the bomb-sniffing rats into the field in later this year.
“The main goal is to tackle a humanitarian problem in Colombia,” says Mendez. “In my career, I have seen many civilians, police officers and soldiers who have been killed or severely injured in mine fields. It has become a personal challenge, and I want to use this project to help my country.”
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