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Animals-engineers (9 photos)
Unexploded mines still remain a serious problem throughout the world. Moreover, the clearance is very dangerous and costly. But Bart Weegens, Belgium found a solution - a trained opossum. On taming the animal takes about a year. Using the achievements of Pavlov rats produce a stable relationship smell of explosives and reward - bananas and peanuts.
«Grey soldiers" give odds to the rest of the technology and the animals that were used to clear the area of unexploded mines, as rat unlike trained dog, even stepping on a land mine, due to the small weight will not cause detonation of the charge; and in the lack of new recruits will not be because female opossum carries up to ten litters per year. The process itself is very simple - the rat (for the guarantee of finding all mines in one area consistently work to three individuals) with povodyrёm combing certain area and found the charge sits on top paws and scratches. Next, people already neutralizes the charge.
This program was initiated by the Belgian Office for International Cooperation in 2004. When the initial training of rats has shown positive results, it was decided to move the research center in Tanzania in East Africa, in conditions close to reality. So the team is now working at the University of Agriculture of Tanzania. Using «HeroRATS» in Mozambique, has allowed more than a thousand families to reclaim their land. They also helped with clearing areas through which power lines - communication restored and energy re-established over ten thousand local residents. The plans of subdivision operations in Zambia, Congo and Angola.
Such is the wonderful beast is. But that's not all: in Africa marsupial rats kept as pets, and even eat. But as for me, the variant with the neutralization of minefields and save thousands of human lives is no less attractive.
«Grey soldiers" give odds to the rest of the technology and the animals that were used to clear the area of unexploded mines, as rat unlike trained dog, even stepping on a land mine, due to the small weight will not cause detonation of the charge; and in the lack of new recruits will not be because female opossum carries up to ten litters per year. The process itself is very simple - the rat (for the guarantee of finding all mines in one area consistently work to three individuals) with povodyrёm combing certain area and found the charge sits on top paws and scratches. Next, people already neutralizes the charge.
This program was initiated by the Belgian Office for International Cooperation in 2004. When the initial training of rats has shown positive results, it was decided to move the research center in Tanzania in East Africa, in conditions close to reality. So the team is now working at the University of Agriculture of Tanzania. Using «HeroRATS» in Mozambique, has allowed more than a thousand families to reclaim their land. They also helped with clearing areas through which power lines - communication restored and energy re-established over ten thousand local residents. The plans of subdivision operations in Zambia, Congo and Angola.
Such is the wonderful beast is. But that's not all: in Africa marsupial rats kept as pets, and even eat. But as for me, the variant with the neutralization of minefields and save thousands of human lives is no less attractive.
