Rats are learning to wear backpacks that can be equipped with location trackers and microphones, so the animals can help human rescuers locate survivors stuck in earthquake debris The Hero Rats ...

Daniel is on a mission. Somewhere in the rubble and debris that surround him inside this wrecked building in central Tanzania, a survivor is trapped. Daniel is determined to find him. He navigates the ...

African giant pouched rats, which have previously been trained to sniff out buried mines and detect tuberculosis, are now being used to stop smuggling in Tanzania, The Guardian reported. Endangered ...

MOROGORO, Tanzania — Often dismissed as pests, rats have long been misunderstood. But the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), the world’s longest, is challenging that perception. With ...

The Hero Rats Project is training rodents to be sent into earthquake debris wearing tiny backpacks — so human rescuers can find and talk to stuck survivors. The innovative project is being worked on ...

Rodent trainer Neema Justin, 33, shares a moment with an African giant pouched rat after an exercise in detecting illegal wildlife products at the Apopo training facility in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Tommy Trenchard / for NPR Daniel is on a mission. Somewhere in the rubble and debris that surround him inside this wrecked building in central Tanzania, a survivor is trapped. Daniel is determined to ...