Crime-Sniffing Rats

Credit: APOPO.

The scale of the illegal wildlife trade is enormous and threatens many animal and plant species. Around the world, international ports need more resources to screen shipping containers for smuggled wildlife. According to new research, help could arrive soon—in the form of trained rats. A proof-of-principle study shows that African giant pouched rats can successfully learn to detect the scents of pangolin scales, elephant ivory, and other illegal wildlife products.

Learn more at my Animal Minds blog: African Rats Detect Scent and Combat Wildlife Trafficking.