Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
ArticleBody:African giant pouched rats could be the next line of defense in the illegal wildlife trade. A team of researchers have trained these three-pound rats to pick up the scent of elephant ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, and a small tree called African blackwood. All of these animals and plants are listed as threatened or at a high risk of extinction and are illegally trafficked.
CREDIT: APOPO. Eight rats were able to identify four commonly smuggled wildlife species among 146 non-target substances by the end of the training. “Existing screening tools are expensive and time intensive and there is an urgent need to increase cargo screening,” said Szott. “APOPO's rats are cost-efficient scent detection tools. They can easily access tight spaces like cargo in packed shipping containers or be lifted up high to screen the ventilation systems of sealed containers.
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