Rats Trained to Sniff Out Bombs, Mines (in Colombia)

[icymist]

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Watch out Fido -- your days on the force may be numbered. Out for your job are Lola and Espejo, two whiskered, red-eyed rats that police in Colombia are training to sniff out bombs and land mines.

The two rodents are part of an experimental six-rat squadron that police are preparing for dangerous missions to defuse the more than 100,000 land mines that litter Colombia's countryside after four decades of war between the government and leftist rebels.

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To earn their stripes, the rats have spent the past year undergoing a daily training regimen, wherein they are placed in a maze with C-4 explosives and other bomb-making materials. When they detect the target, they're rewarded with a cracker to nibble on and a few gentle caresses behind the ears.
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This gives a whole new meaning to Rat Patrol!

[beam me up scottie]

1. !

Even if the rats prove reliable bomb sniffers, they may not prove as loyal of a companion as German Shepherds. Another problem facing their handlers is recognizing the tiny rats' signals while staying a safe distance away.

Maybe they could use hand signals.

[jedr]

2. Drug sniffing dogs are soon to be replaced by wasps;

No really, it's true. Cheaper to train, better sense of smell and cheaper to maintain. This global search for cheaper labor has reached new heights.:sarcasm: