Addicted2Groove
248694
6348
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African hero rats detect landmines.
Feb 5, 2018 12:08 PM
Addicted2Groove
248694
6348
102
ImOver9000
So like bomb sniffing dogs, but cheaper. Wonder how it'll look in US airports.
OrC23
I donate to them every year. I've adopted a hero rat and have the plush!
WebsterPuddlesMD
moxubaozi
rats rule motherfucker
DoughnutJimmy
Accredited as HeroRats if they pass...accredited as mist if they fail
CobraEatsSky
LOL
LockeNCole
They're too light to trigger the mines.
Numero34
I sponsored a hero rat before. It's a nice gift to give someone for Christmas
cringemeupscotty
So what level are these ratata's?
DukeDarkwood
Couldn't tell you their level, but they're definitely in the top percentile.
the1stpsycho
You can sponsor a rat on their website and also donate to the program apopo.org
VirusShell
Thank you for this! I'm donating the second I get paid on Friday
needanamedammit
Amazingamandaaaaa
@op add this to your post so people can help fund this.
Atwthepig
Done
PoodlPadddlBattl
When does the movie come out?
sopunk
+1 for good guy hero rat.
atnair
lol that closeup of one eating a banana. I LOVE MY JOB
CarolusMagnusII
The organisation is called Apopo I believe
pheffner
They feature rats like these in action on the Netflix show "Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father " which is weird and hilarious IMHO.
theoriginaljfizz
Awesome thanks for sharing
Kenkenny82
Some rats in africa are also trained to detect a certain desease. I don't remember wich one, but I'm sure someone here can.
StephieDZ
Yup! It's the same training process, they're just picking up the scent of tuberculosis instead of mines.
Kenkenny82
Tuberculosis, thanks.
TheMajesticHarpyEagle
Tuberculosis; same group I think actually.
deadandbloated
Wow, you know the economy is bad when even the rats need 2 jobs
TheMajesticHarpyEagle
Lel.
ArtemisArtemisArtemisArtemisArtemis
Rats make some amazing pets. They are very smart, clean and love to be cuddled.
Amazingamandaaaaa
My rat used to sleep in my hoodie. They were hairless albino rats.
EzraFell
And those rats are actually kinda cute. Well that's awesome. If this isn't a repost it's probably going to Front Page.
GoldenShibaHusky
Hah. Oh child you think reposts can’t make it? Hahahahaha.
EzraFell
When I made my original statement, the post was 2min old in Usersub Newest, so I've seen a lot of posts die.
DragonLordG
It's both on the front page and a repost, but it's been a while so imma upvote it.
VeinyFleshTrumpet
It is. But it’s a decent one.
Guard81
I kind of think that most rats are kind of cute.
LK79
It's quite an interesting read so I can certainly see it blowing up......
PerritoFeo
Because reposts never go to front page.
SpeakerForTheUnLiving
Not even once.
MateriaGirl1
8years..... they get much older than standard pet rats....
StephieDZ
I kinda wish they were available as pets. I love rats but their short lives make it so hard.
SpeakerForTheUnLiving
Switching their diet to fresh food over store bought makes a huge difference, in my experience. Still too short though
symbioticfungiarboltroll
"I smell a landmine." Rat
niallage
For some reasons this story reminds me of 1970s Irish rock band, the Boomtown Rats.
sutra46
There are experiments on rat emphatic behaviour. They refuse food if the pressed lever shocks another rat. Can't find that specific one 1/2
sutra46
links on the similar experiments. https://youtu.be/oa16">nFgD8">https://youtu.be/oa16P4nFgD8 , https://youtu.be/nyolz2Qf1ms 2/2
kiive
There was a vietnamese guy who was offered a job in removing mines that he placed himself. Dude was awesome at it.
Spaid47Trey57
I did an article about this in 5th grade.
AdorableTinyKitties
Fuck. So wholesome. So cute.. I want twenty . ❤
DisgruntledFerret
For Redwall!
winkyroomba
ROUS
dontpanicbringatowel
Just what I was thinking!
AllTheGoodOnesWereGone
I think in this case that positive reinforcement will definitely work better than the negative reinforcement.
scottjaeger
and the US is still not a signatory to the UN Convention on Land Mines (or wtf it's called)
MidlandRedux
Look on the bright side. If we get into a nuclear war with North Korea and several American cities are obliterated . . .
MidlandRedux
. . . North Korea and the DMZ will be gone and we can support the treaty!
fuckthatfuckthisandfuckyou
Saw a documentary once where these big bastards could olfactorily detect tuberculosis from just a mouth swab. Was on TV so must be true.
Amazingamandaaaaa
Where can I watch this??
TheMajesticHarpyEagle
It is, actually. Quite good at it as well.
BoosterKnorBoud
Rats are an underrated animal. They don't deserve the hate.
1fella
who hates rats? I grew up breeding both mice and rats and they were the most cuddly friendly animals ever!
Paasimus
Yeah... past is the past and it was really the fleas in the rats fur that spread the bubonic plague.
RamenAndBooze
tell that to Alberta.
HolyShitZoom
Blame Brian Jaques
sensoryte
just imagine all the costs rats save us that otherwise we would have to invest into garbage disposal and recycling, it's gigatons
OdiumToJoy
they piss wherever they go, they spread disease. Also cute and smart. but still. piss and disease.
jamiedBreaker
Right?? The plague happened like, one time, guys... plus they're smart and affectionate and great companions ^_^
quicksendhelp
Aww rats
starlord56
They are very intelligent
Kluehouse
If only they were a disease vector or something and rats have been associated with plague HMMMMMMMMMM
propyro
If my lungs didn't hate rats I'd still have them as pets.
pc4pc
animals are rated?
Tombaugh
As someone who grew up in poverty as a child and watched giant wild rats gnaw at the walls, tear open dog food/chicken feed bags... yeah ok.
OneDayiWillDateAlisonBrie
Goddamn... Growing up in Detroit sucks man...
giraffesarecoolarentthey
No animal deserves to be hated, except for my neighbors dog Barry. Fucking Barry
IDunkedMyTesticlesInMayo
I agree, I own 5 boys XD
derschweiz
I’m still bitter they wiped out a third of Europe but I suppose 700+ years is enough to let bygones be bygones...
Canchocolatejustletmefinish
"There were rats, dad. Big ones."
bishopolis
These aren't the bubonic menace we hate. These are the cute rats which aren't hairless and are valuable.
BQZip
You think THIS guy's good, you should see his 4 sons (all turtles)
Traja01
Had a pet rat in high school (old lab rat). Bubba. He was a good pet.
TheCultist
Listen, we Europeans still are not over that plague thing and it should be clear by now that we like to hold grudges
kahless01
they chewed through the water line to my fridge while i was on vacation, flooded my house, ruined my wood floors. theyre gonna get hate.
kittykat
I spent the majority of the day yesterday cleaning up the shed that was infested with rats when I moved into my house. Who knows when 1/2
kittykat
last cleaned. I filled a kitchen garbage bag w/ just rat shit. The planter boxes had to be scooped out. Don't tell me they aren't nasty. 2/2
spiffynidd
Hella smart and super cute, I had a few growing up. They were so much better than hamsters.
sensoryte
well hamsters are not the brightest bulbs while some rat strains are extremely intelliegent,reason is rats are social, hamsters solitary
atrayyou
Doesn't the chain of causation run the other way? As in social animals are social cuz they're more intelligent
itshardtofindausername
How about cats? Pretty sure they're more intelligent than some social animals.
MattleOTR
1/2 The two concepts are probably directly related, and some animals might have developed both in different orders. There isn't always a
MattleOTR
2/2 chicken and an egg.
sensoryte
this however doesn't mean that all social animals will become particularly smart, could name a few who don't due to lack of advantages
itshardtofindausername
Like sheep lol
sensoryte
no, stuff ends up social and evolutionary pressure drives intelligence development due to the massive advantages it brings to group survival
FlyingBrit
They can also die of loneliness
sensoryte
i've heard that too, however handling advice for having hamsters as pets says the opposite because of infighting, aggression, stress
sensoryte
hamsters also particularly often cannibalize their 'flatmates' especially the syrian one of which all traded pets are descendants
xizar
Older gens of my family were farmers and hated my pet rats. I can understand their stance, but rats fucking rock.
PolarChi
My daughter has two cute mice buddies. We also have a cat, turtle, 3 dogs, mult. fish, etc. We love all animals! *Don't worry, mice are safe
DynamicThreads
They carry parasites and disease. They absolutely still deserve the hate, despite being intelligent and underrated.
TheGayPenguin
They don't carry them purposely...
DynamicThreads
Yeah and vehicular manslaughter isn't usually done on purpose, either. Moot point. they still carry disease.
TheGayPenguin
Manslaughter is generally a result of negligence. Hate the diseases, not the creatures that can't understand they're spreading them.
DynamicThreads
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manslaughter Just stop
PoesCrow
They cool as long as they ain’t feral and trying to eat my pantry
FeenyBoBeany
yeah they're cute little bastatds
Mockingbirb
He's right! Let's show 'em some love
rianstar
Sounds like some people haven't seen sewer rats yet
ShowMeTheGoodsorPizza
Only 9 downvotes so far, if it was a repost it was an under appreciated one. Just like the rats.
Carefuler
They're a capable competitor to humans. That's why we hate them. Same with cockroaches.
Leithreas
Mice are the ones I hate, they're the ones that come into your home. Rats just fuck around outside most of the time.
quattroformaggix4
I love ratties. I LOVE rata tat ratties!
Rkfinecake
Prison inmates would disagree. Snitches get stitches.
Mockingbirb
daguq
The hate should be for those who left the mines in the 1st place. AND for the western countries that sold them to them.
TheMellowPeril
Their fleas on the other hand...
Bl4nk3t
They get fleas just as dogs would or cats. Nothing special.
Smudge6530
I think he means, that it was the rat's fleas that caused the Black Death, not the rats themselves. So, yeah it is kinda special!
SherlockH0LMES
That's been recently modeled/hypothesized to in fact be false.
ViolentGrapeStapler
Do you have a source for that? Legit curious I haven't heard that before.
Bl4nk3t
Ahhhh I missed that part of it. I thought he was just saying they got fleas real bad or something.
PrinceMoheezy
Ever since the plague our relationship has not been the same
TheArkhamAsylumAccountsPayableClerk
Tell that to the people of Europe in the 1300s.
HorribleWifey
Oh, the improvements from 1300s expand past rats. But ya know, hold a grudge.
LockeNCole
You mean the group that filled their streets with shit and waste?
Mockingbirb
And never washed themselves because they thought THAT would make them sick!
SnesC
We'll follow you to Mars, or wherever you people go, your friend the rat is down below.
DukeLetoofDune
No rats are fucking pests that carry hella disease. They can carry like 20 deadly diseases with no effect on them. However 1/2
DukeLetoofDune
They are underrated. Very smart, have some killer evolutionary traits, and I think make great pets when handled proper.
BigDaveGames
Interesting dynamic going on here with the upvotes
TheScottishRonSwanson
I think the stigma is surrounding the notion they some how caused the plague and other diseases. When infact they had minimal impact..
TheScottishRonSwanson
Source if needed **http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/black-death-what-cause-humans-rats-fleas-deaths-bubonic-plague-a8162006.html
IDunkedMyTesticlesInMayo
Was humans that spread the plague not rats
TheScottishRonSwanson
That's the point I made bud
IDunkedMyTesticlesInMayo
Oooh my bad I read it wrong
IDunkedMyTesticlesInMayo
I own 5 rats XD love the
iLikeHockey
Also 1984
oneofthecalled
Direct infection? Yes. Impact? No. They DID harbor the fleas that cause most of the infection.
TheScottishRonSwanson
It was predominantly human fleas and lice that transmitted the y pestis.. so humans past it to each other at a much higher rate than the rat
TheScottishRonSwanson
I provided a source that ypu can read in the comments
oneofthecalled
Thank you. I went back and found that.
DeepAnalTongue
They are stuck on the fleas. Not making the distinction between human fleas and the rat fleas. You tried.
EveryonesCousin
Being scavengers, they like living in places we consider not hygenic, so of course we think they're gross.
TheScottishRonSwanson
So do most animals thou to be fair.. dogs like rolling in shit, cats bring home mice and birds which is very in hygenic too.. (1)...
TheScottishRonSwanson
Animals can't exactly wash and take showers in clean sanitized waters either... it's just one of them things
EveryonesCousin
I mean, true - but we've domesticated those over thousands of years, so we're used to it.
TheScottishRonSwanson
Also true.. there is no doubt rats are pests but they are not the demons we have been brought up to believe.
EpilatorAlligatorBothReduceGrowth
Also the fact they’re difficult to eradicate when a nest has been established, cause they breed so fast. If SPCA took in wild rats, spayed/
EpilatorAlligatorBothReduceGrowth
2 neutered wild rats and let them go to friendly homes, there wouldn’t be much space for cats or dogs.
TheScottishRonSwanson
Lol... they are definetly a pest, my point is they arnt the disgusting demons we were all told growning up..
OafLikesaSmallBike
Minimal? They were the main transporter of fleas.
BigBadBagelBite
Came here to say this. Thanks
TheScottishRonSwanson
But humans were more to blame http://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2018/01/maybe-rats-arent-blame-great-plague-london
TheScottishRonSwanson
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/black-death-what-cause-humans-rats-fleas-deaths-bubonic-plague-a8162006.html
teslathemaxpuppy
You kinda just proved him right with that article. It even says fleas were the main carrier of the plague and with the fact rats carried 1/?
teslathemaxpuppy
the plague around from area to area as human culture at the time decided something was wrong with certain animals that hunted rats 2/?
FurToaster
they WERE the flea bags that transpo'd that black death all over tho
TheScottishRonSwanson
That is not entirely true, new studies have revealed that people were the primary cause rats added to the problem..
FriscoeHotsauce
Mmm, a recent study said it was more likely Gerbils
FriscoeHotsauce
https://www.npr.org/2015/02/28/389595442/rats-blamed-for-bubonic-plague-but-gerbils-may-be-the-real-villains
FurToaster
wow... who knew!!
Exouse
And the fact that they can eat through your entire house, if you got a rats nest under it.
Thesacrificialpancake
Had pet rats loved them. Wild rates almost started an electrical fire in my house and shit everywhere.
TheScottishRonSwanson
Apparently the average rat can chew through steal and the reason the bite everything is because thier teeth constantly grow..
TittySprinklesNarratedByMorganFreeman5
Yeah, fuck rats, those kind, not these, these guys are cool
ConfusedMusk
Askeleet
Rats with normal tooth placement do not have to chew to wear down their teeth. They grind them on their own, usually when happy or stressed.
TheScottishRonSwanson
Learn something new every day..
Askeleet
Worth mentioning that rats and rodents can be born with poor tooth placement (malocclusion) and need chew toys or their teeth will overgrow.