Scientists train rats to detect smuggled wildlife trophies

Researchers have successfully trained African giant pouched rats to sniff rhino horns, elephant tusks, and pangolin scales. [iStockphoto]

A rat, on a leash, on a mission. That is what we might soon see in ports and airports as rats become the next big thing in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.

This comes after researchers successfully trained African giant pouched rats to sniff rhino horns, elephant tusks, and pangolin scales.

Through a study conducted by APOPO, a Tanzania-based, non-profit organisation, the researchers proved that the African giant pouched rats can detect trafficked wildlife.

The study, published in Frontiers in Conservation Science on 30 October 2024, highlights the remarkable scent retention capabilities of the rats where they can identify specific wildlife products. They can retain the memory of these scents for up to eight months.

“Here, we present a series of proof-of-principle studies training African giant pouched rats to detect illegally trafficked wildlife,” the researchers said.

The African giant pouched rat is notable for its large body size and cheeks compared to other rats. They use the cheek pouches to carry food back to their burrows, where it is eaten or stored.

The researchers trained the rats to detect the scent of pangolin scales, rhino horns, and elephant tusks. The rats were introduced to the specific scents of illegal wildlife items upon which they were able to detect the presence of wildlife targets even when these were concealed in mixtures among non-target items.

“These results provide the foundation to train rats for scent-detection of illegally trafficked wildlife to combat illegal wildlife trafficking,” the researchers said.