When you think of rescue, animals, you’ll be forgiven for not thinking of rats as actual rescue animals. Maybe Master Splinter. He rescued turtles that would turn into pizza-eating and Nunchuk-wielding crime fighters.

What if rats could be trained to save you? Especially if you’re stuck in rubble of a collapsed building during an earthquake? Angel shared with Maurice how rats are trained to do exactly just that on the Smile Drive.

For training purposes, the rats are using a simple pull-switch on a vest, but in collaboration with the Eindhoven University of Technology, APOPO is developing a 3D-printed backpack for the project. They plan to include a video camera, two-way microphone, and location transmitter, so that if the rats enter the field, search and rescue teams will be able to find and communicate with victims. 

Rats have had a bad rap for years but that’s slowly changing.

Wow, really? That’s amazing. I had no idea rats were working as rescuers (outside of Disney movies, that is.) Thanks for the day brightener. pic.twitter.com/I00PJqzF2l

— Eleanour Snow (@docsnowtx) May 26, 2022