Rats are used to sniff out land mines and save lives

Updated
Cambodia Is Using Rats To Sniff Out Landmines
Cambodia Is Using Rats To Sniff Out Landmines


Rats often evoke pretty extreme reactions when encountered, but these animals are actually saving many lives in Cambodia.

The country, known for its marvelous architecture wonders like the Seam Reap temples you've seen in "Tomb Raider," is also plagued by a shocking amount of land mines, which were planted by the regimes that were fighting during the 1970s Civil War.

Many of these land mines are still scattered through the rural areas and are taking a toll on the population, which counts some 40,000 amputees.

The Cambodian Mine Action Authority has been trying to detonate the mines before they hurt more people, and have found an ally in rats.

According to NPR, the animals are trained to cover a 200-square-meter (239-square-yard) patch of land and sniff out the mines. This detection system is less time and money consuming than using metal detectors and it keeps humans away from the land mine.


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