A fawn stuck in a fence protested quite loud as it was freed from a fence in Indian Hills, Colorado on Wednesday. The deer was reunited with its mother after being released from its tight position.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento Zoo has welcomed its newest, one-of-a-kind residents: three African giant pouched rats.
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Also known as HeroRATs, these highly trained animals can sniff out tuberculosis, landmines and trafficked wildlife products, including rhino horn.
HeroRATs are highly trained animals can sniff out tuberculosis, landmines and trafficked wildlife products, including rhino horn.
(Sacramento Zoo / FOX Weather)
According to a social media post from the Sacramento Zoo, the facility partnered with Belgian nonprofit APOPO to house the three HeroRATs.
The zoo has developed an interactive habitat designed to teach visitors about the animals’ abilities and the illegal wildlife trade.
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A baby giant African pouch rat is rewarded with a banana by its trainer after accurately finding a dummy mine during a training exercise.
(YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The rats are currently living with the California zoo’s ambassador animals while their new habitat is being constructed.
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African giant pouched rats are among the largest rats in the world, growing to an average length of about 3 feet, including their tails. Some can grow to the size of a small cat and weigh up to 9 pounds, per the Texas Invasive Species Institute.
African giant pouched rats are among the largest rats in the world.
(Sacramento Zoo / FOX Weather)
APOPO, an organization that trains southern giant pouched rats and technical survey dogs to detect disease and other threats, said its HeroRAT program is also used to identify hidden wildlife products.
MICHIGAN RESEARCHERS DISCOVER THESE ANCIENT FISH MAY BE OLDER THAN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The rats can detect even trace amounts of target substances while ignoring other scents sometimes used to mask illegal items.
According to APOPO, the animals can provide a cost-effective, non-invasive and efficient way to screen large volumes of cargo at ports, airports and border crossings.
