Life
African giant pouched rats proved adept at detecting four commonly trafficked products derived from endangered species including rhino horn and elephant ivory
By Kate McMahon
19 September 2024
An African giant pouched rat sniffs boxes looking for wildlife products
APOPO
Trained rats could help counter the multi-billion-dollar illegal wildlife trade by deploying their heightened sense of smell to catch trafficked animal products.
The nonprofit organisation APOPO already uses southern giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) to sniff for landmines in post-conflict zones and to detect tuberculosis.
In a new study, Isabelle Szott and Kate Webb at APOPO and their colleagues tested the ability of the pouched rats to detect four commonly trafficked items from endangered species: rhino…
