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Elite rat team to begin by spotting illegal
shipments of pangolins, the world’s most trafficked animal, at ports in Tanzania
The
US government will fund the training of a team of giant rats to combat illegal
wildlife trafficking in Africa.
An elite group of African giant pouched rats will be used at
ports, initially in Tanzania, to detect illegal shipments of
pangolins – the world’s most trafficked animal, which has been pushed towards
extinction due to the trade in its scales and skins – as well as hardwood
timber.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service
is spending $100,000 on a pilot project that will train rats to detect the
illegal items and learn to communicate this to their human handlers. The rats,
which can grow up to 3ft long, have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of
smell. They have pouched cheeks, much like a hamster, which give the species
its name.
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