APOPO

Another beautiful day dawns at our training minefield in #Tanzania 🇹🇿. Did you know that our #HeroRATs are nocturnal? That's why we train them very early in the morning, so they can rest during the heat of the day... Thank you #PostcodeLotteryPeople for your steadfast support over the years. Enabling us to keep training HeroRATs in Tanzania who go on to help find landmines in countries like Angola, Azerbaijan and Cambodia; restoring safety and hope to people living in danger. #GoldenHour #EarlyBirds #APOPO #AfricanGiantPouchedRat People's Postcode Lottery

Did you know that a fascinating new study suggests that rats use ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to manipulate particles in the air, enhancing their sense of smell? 🤯 From influencing molecular interactions to detecting pheromones, these unsung heroes of science are revealing secrets that could help with research on communication disorders, attention, and memory. Curious? Learn more: https://ow.ly/uQj150TSrbs #research #JediRats #PowerfulNoses #APOPO

Thank you El Pais for featuring our #HeroRATs and their life-saving work in #Angola, where they help clear landmines from decades of conflict, making it possible for communities to safely return to their land. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3YzHJhq #APOPO #MineAction #LandmineClearance #MineFreeWorld

As of this month, #APOPO #Ukraine 🇺🇦 is officially certified by NMAC Chernihiv to conduct Technical Survey and Mine Detection Dog (TSD/MDD) operations! After 10 months of hard work, we’re ready to begin TSD activities with MAG (Mines Advisory Group) helping reclaim vital land. The training and deployment of our Technical Survey Dog (TSD) teams in Ukraine is made possible with the invaluable support of the Vlaamse overheid, the European Commission, UNDP Ukraine and @australiangovernment. #MineAction #TSD #MDD #Demining #APOPO #EuropeanUnion #HeroDOGs

APOPO's #HeroRATs are trained using clicker training, which pairs a "click" sound with a food reward. The rat is placed in a safe environment to explore. When they hear a click from a handheld clicker device, they receive a tasty treat, teaching the rat to associate the click sound with food. After a few sessions, the rat learns to expect the reward and responds eagerly to the click, helping it prepare for more advanced tasks like detecting the scent of explosives. Thank you to @belgiummfa 🇧🇪 for generously supporting our training center enabling our life-saving work! #APOPO #FutureHeroes #PositiveReinforcement #ClickerTraining #AfricanGiantPouchedRat

Young rats are first trained to associate the “CLICK” sound with food rewards. Later, this motivates them to perform tasks like searching for target scents. They are rewarded with a mix of mashed banana, avocado, and crushed rat chow from a syringe. #clickertraining #herorats #APOPO

APOPO’s Technical Survey Dogs (TSD) are experts at sniffing out landmines, providing a reliable and efficient solution to this deadly problem. Our dogs help protect lives and release land for safe use. Learn about their training and how they work alongside their handlers and APOPO's human deminers: https://ow.ly/s1nP50TOnjj #HeroDOGs #MineDetection #MineAction #APOPO

APOPO is proud to be in Lausanne (CH), participating in the Ukraine Mine Action Conference, organized by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland. Anna Bouchier, our Swiss director was invited to contribute to the panel on Innovative Financing, sharing APOPO’s experience of our Development Impact Bond in Cambodia. The panel, hosted by Norway MFA, brought together representatives of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), the Netherlands, Ukraine and the UK. #MineAction #Ukraine #MineConferenceCH #PatheToPeace #DemineUkraine #APOPO

Despite being nocturnal animals, #HeroRATs have poor eyesight and do not see well in the dark. Instead, they rely on their excellent hearing, great sense of smell, and sensitive #whiskers to help them navigate the world. #landminedetection #powerfulnose #whiskerswednesday

Clearing landmines and other explosive devices is at the heart of what APOPO Mine Action does to protect people and their livelihoods from weapons that have little to do with them. In #Cambodia, #APOPO uses innovative solutions that integrate detection animals into traditional methods that allow us to clear landmines and other explosives more efficiently. APOPO’s #HeroRATs ignore scrap metal and search for the scent of explosives. They are too light to set off the landmines and very fast at finding them so their human colleagues can dig them up and destroy them. #teamwork #supernoses #minefree #demining #africangiantpouchedrat