Rats are the world’s best land mine hunters

From Danika Fears / New York Post: In countries like Cambodia, Angola, and Mozambique, rats are saving lives by detecting untriggered land mines. An international nonprofit, Apopo, provides funding a training and works with local organizations to operate at the local level. The rats are light enough that they don’t trigger the explosives and can cover up to 2,000 square feet in just 20 minutes – something that would take a human up to four days to complete.

Organization:

APOPO

Social Innovator:

Bart Weetjens, Christophe Cox

Issue Areas:

Academia, Research and Science, Disaster and Emergency Management, Peace and Security

Problem-Solving Strategies:

Expanding Access, Meeting People Where They Are At, Remixing the Talent Pool

Communities Served:

Rural Communities

Locations Where The Organization Works:

Angola, Cambodia, Colombia, Ethiopia, United States

Notes:

Skoll Awardee

Date:

May 30, 2017

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