STORY SYNOPSIS & VIDEO   TANZANIA - HERO RATS

Renee
Portland, Oregon
I've watched this three times, my own two pet rats on my shoulders, and it doesn't get old! I love that a) rats are getting the positive publicity they deserve and b) the land mines are being cleared.

This is a fabulous idea to clean up a ravaged (through no fault of the current locals) part of the world, and hopefully help the condition of all rat kind.

Rats easily learn to love humans, and even more they innately love food, treats, a stable lifestyle. Everyone wins, since these rats don't have to scrounge in the wilderness, and deal with drought, famine, disease and predators, but instead get fed and protected in return for a fun scavenger hunt game (to them). And children get to use the land around their schools again.

Thanks so much to Bart, and everyone involved with the HeroRats team for all the great work you're doing.

Louis Lamontagne
Laupen, Switzerland
Very important work. People in Africa suffer enough as it is. Any decent way they can be helped is welcome; and this is a decent way (the rats are not mistreated in any manner). Congratulations for your humanistic endeavour.

Jessica Warner
Lancaster, PA
Having worked with two rats in college for a Behavioral Psych. class, I have a strong fondness for rodents, particularly rats. When the course was completed, I kept the two rats as pets and learned just how intelligent, quick-learning, and keen their senses are. They were very sociable and knew how to ask for my attention when it was wanted. Kudos to Bart for recognizing one of the many ways in which these rodents can serve man.

Washington, DC
Fantastic story. Great to see that people like Bart are actually getting funding for these innovative solutions. Thanks for presenting this-- a truly newsworthy item!

deborah joy sommerton
bolsover, england
That is fantastic work,it is so good to hear of someone realising the potential of these animals. It must be very hard work but please keep it up,it is such worthy work.

Serenna Stone
Kennewick, WA
I was doing an essay on operant conditioning and stumbled over your AMAZING story. I can appreciate where your heart lies and that is with making this world a safer place to live. Many Thank Yous! I hope I am as successful with my dreams for making the world a safer place.

Whyalla Norrie, South Australia
I am a rat lover and have kept many pet rats over the years.I am not surprised about them being so intelligent and am glad to see them being little heroes along with the men who defuse the mines. It is a shame that they have to be used this way, rats and men, especially since neither put the land minds there in the first place but that's life and unfortunately someone has to do it. I am impressed with the dedication of people and rats to rid areas of these land mines. Well done. You all deserve medals.

gregg k
los angeles, ca
To me, these are the top echelon of rats in one of the top service jobs (to humans) in the world.

Unlike all the "testing" rodents that are never let out of their cages and are poked and injected with irritants to see how much they can tolerate before they die, these guys get to go out and play .........in the minefields.

Their job is to help make dangerous land usable-mostly for children. A job no human can do safely. The TB detection example at the end of the program should get more exposure too.

They deserve to be pampered and the work of Bart Weetjens should be supported.

One thing, I don't understand why, with all the billions spent on military/defense/intelligence, we don't yet have the technology to have large-scale, ultra sensitive metal/explosive chemical detectors for this kind of thing.

On the other hand, Nature has proven many times to have the lead in super sensory powers and medical cures. We just have to find and harness them.

Off to

http://www.apopo.org/newsite/content/index.htm

.....to contribute.

Nicholas Nyangena
Arlington, Tx
Thank you Mr. Bart. My prayer is to wish you and your team long life. Time has come for people to give animals they hate, a second thought.God bless you.Amazing are the Hero rats!

(anonymous)
Incredibly amazing and inspiring story. Thank you so much for bringing attention to this man, those amazing animals, and worthy cause.

(anonymous)
I find it odd that 'anonymous' uses the word WE in regards to the horrors of war and its trappings. One cannot control what the rest of the world does (much as one would like to) and it is a noble task indeed to attempt to right a wrong. It is not at all inhumane to use the rats in this manner either. They like the work or they would refuse to do it. Their handlers love them (that was obvious from the segment) and use positive training methods. 'Cheaper to maintain" does not mean DISPOSABLE either. How much does it cost to feed a 65lb dog as opposed to a 5-8lb rat? These people are doing fabulous things and I applaud them!

Aubrey Rowley
Clinton Township, Michigan
WOW I wonder where they got that harness for that rat - the ones I have for my rat don't look like them.

Kat Jewell
Grand rapids, Michigan
Hello! I am a HUGE rat lover. Im glad that these rats are helping out but is it really fair to them that they have to pay for our mees ups? Now I dont know how many rats get hurt on site but I'm guessing that at least one rat, if not more has been "Blown up" for this act. Rats can feel. They feel the same if they get hurt as if we got hurt ourselves. I'm not a total expert on rats but I have 8 rats of my own right now, not including the rats I have had in the past but don't you think these rats would like a better life? It really depends on where you got these rats from really. If they are rats meant to be pets, I dont think this is right but if you got them from a place for "Food" for snakes, I agree that these rats have a better life... but do you give them attention? and how do these rats end up when they are when you are done with them or they get too old? Honestly I would take some of the rats if that was the case but I'm guessing that it wouldn't be a real possibility.
Best of luck for the rats!,
Kat

Dili
I'm glad at least someone has tried to save those disadvantaged people by at least using the rats. For the "anonymous" who claim we always use animals and they are not happy with that, would they (themselves) use their own selves to help the problem? All these years no one has even thought of robots to solve the problem. IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO PRAISE SOMEONE'S EFFORTS! Personally, I'm thankful he has contributed to the endless efforts!

Lucky
San diego, Ca
Great story. Thanks for sharing it, the rats and trainers are all heroes.Good to see some positive changes that lighten the heart from the heavy burden of war and desruction. I was amazed at what the rats were capable of, we should all value every bit of creation, even rats now are saving us from ourselves.

Elizabeth Reynolds
Takoma Park, Maryland USA
This was the most amazing story! The hero rats, and especially dear Ararat, are spectacular. The landmine problem in Africa is heartbreaking and this was an inspiring story. I would like to find a way to contribute to this effort.

Martin Galle
Landau, Germany
www.Omaha-Beach.Org wrote:Phantastic what they do with theses animals to save lives from the horrible land mines.

--> Ban Landmines Now <--

Plaisir, France
Quel travail magnifique, des rats qui viennent en aide aux humains grâce à la réflexion, la patience de certains qui se battent pour un monde meilleur et aussi à leur propre intelligence : surprenant. Félicitations et longue vie à ce projet.

Ali
Allen, TX
To be honest, I have always thought of rats as creepy-crawling creatures roaming the sewers that I really have no interest in whatsoever. However, this episode has entirely altered my point of view on these rodents. I had no idea that rats are actually intelligent creatures and are capable of being trained-- especially to accomplish the heroic task of detecting landmines and saving numerous lives. These rats truly are heroes, and might even get the job done slightly better than the typical canine because, as the video states, the rats "weigh less, are cheaper to maintain and less susceptible to tropical disease". I applaud Bart Weejen, the owner and trainer of the rats, for his determination to make the world a better place, even after being turned down and laughed at numerous times, all through his love for rats.

(anonymous)
Bart's Hero Rats are truly amazing. Who knew that an animal attached to such negative ideas as filth and disease could actually be saving lives? I knew that there were land mines in Africa but I had no idea that they caused such a threat to living life for these people. The thought that a bomb could go off when those little children were running around the schoolyard is a horrible one. Just walking along a road could turn into someone's worst nightmare. Land mines are a real problem in Africa and the rats are really helping there, but with the idea that rats can diagnose Tuberculosis these hero rats can be taken worldwide. People can be diagnosed faster and treatment can start so maybe they can save people's lives. Although these rats are heroes, if one of them saved my life I would not go up and hug and kiss it; a rat is a rat.

Allen, TX
I knew that rats were used in a lot of research, but I had no idea that they could be used to detect mines. I hope animals are used more and more to do things that humans aren't built to do. As soon as we realize that we don't have to make a machine for everything and use existing resources, a lot of time and money will be saved. We have so many amazing creatures already on the earth. It's about time we recognize this and harness their abilities. I have great respect for Mr. Bart Weetjens and others pursuing similar research because it is so difficult to acquire funding and persevere through setbacks. The tuberculosis testing mentioned at the end of the video is especially intriguing because it is likely that many more diseases can be detected by rats or even other animals. I feel that the cures for many diseases are right under our noses - or the rats' noses.

Randall Lewis
Athens, Ohio
I recently watched a pbs show about scientists trying to develop a robot that would be able to sniff out illegal drugs since it was so expensive to train dogs to do this. It seems that these rats would be a very interesting substitute for dogs in the war on drugs. I would think they could be trained to sniff out drugs the same way they sniff out land mines and at a very reduced cost compared to dogs.

(anonymous)
Wow, this is amazing! I've never seen anything like this before!

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
I'm interested in a dvd/video of "Hero Rats." I don't know where I can get one in Australia. It is to do with rats helping defuse mines. Also any other animal heroes. I'm new at computers.

Jan F.
Nogota, Colombia
I was wondering if we can have this system in Colombia. I would love that our Colombian president could get to know this program. I can interpret if you need any help and I would love to volunteer in any way.

Mary Ann Flores
Pensacola, Florida
It's amazing what you are doing with these animals. I always knew they are intelligent. But this is incredible. But I have a question. How do you prevent those rats getting infected with TB? It would be sad if they get infected after helping us. Also, I like the way you trained them (with positive rewards). Congratulations for your success. The world needs more people like you.

Mark Pybus
hull, uk
Excellent!!

Danny
San jose, Ca
I just lost my pet rat today and watching this was real warming. To the guy who complained about the rats treatment -- 1st they are living a much better life than being scoffed at in the wild, and 2nd - did you volunteer yourself to look for mines?

Erlangen, Bayern
Impressive. Great work. I never thought rats would be capable of such a great work. And what impresses me even more is the attitude behind the whole project. Helping people who can't help themselves without profit in the back of ones head. Thumbs up.

Hannah Brown
Gainesville, GA
And this is another reason why I love rats so much. I have two female fancy rats as pets and I am so privileged to have them as friends and to take care of them, but for them to also take care of me. Rats are very loving and fascinating creatures and this video proves it. They truly are heroes and are helping to make this world a little bit better to live in and to give even the smallest joy to humans. I receive joy everyday from rats and I am so proud to live and experience life with them.

Alison
Toronto, Ontario
Ever since scientists started using rats in labs for research they have been heros. Does anybody have ANY idea how many billions of rats have "given" their lives to help humans through research? We probably owe more to rats and mice than any other animals. All the research done on psychotropic medications and neurotransmitters is done on rats. It's time we made a fuss about how much rats have given us and recognized their huge, huge contributions to our lives.

MORGANTOWN, WV
This story is amazing and the entire concept is great! These rats are the best and hey, Mr. Scott H., you have no clue when it comes to the Sociological aspects that other people live with on this Planet live with.

Zoma Archambault
MORGANTOWN, WV
Scott H. You are quite a spoiled person no compassion for the events that taking place in the world today. You are so wrong. Are you helping save lives? No, you are not and you posted a comment that is quite tasteless.

Catherine Kempinski
Canal Winchester, Ohio
This was facinating. Especially at the end when the other project that noted the rats were sensitive to the smell of persons with tuberculosis. Will there be a follow up on this project with the rats? TB,especially multiple drug resistant forms, is a scourge in many countries.

NATASHA MARKBY
BENDIGO, VICTORIA
I also am an owner of pet rats, and it is great to see the intelligence of these little creatures to again be acknowledged and appreciated. I hope too that it may help to change the misconceptions that many people have about rats being filthy, diseased and just pure pests!! Great documentary. I enjoyed it!!

New York City, NY
I have owned domesticated pet rats for at least 17 years. I saw the Frontline story and thought it was wonderful that these rodents could be trained to help humanity. I recommend their website www.herorats.org. The Frontline story was very well presented.

Edward Chacha
South bend, IN
I mean, this guy is a true genius! Brilliant idea! I'm a Tanzanian myself, and it was pleasing to see that the project was being carried out in my home country. Many thanks to the founder of the Hero Rats. indeed, this guy (Mr. weejens) deserve a big hand from Western coutries if they do really care about this issue(unexploded land mines).

Lezy Roberts
Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
I've had pet rats all my life and seeing this video of the Hero Rats was the most inspiring thing I've seen in a long time. I try to convince people that rats are good animals and this is living proof that they are and I hope more people come to realise this.I hope and pray that Bart Weetjens and the Hero Rat project reach as much success as possible and I hope God blesses the project and that more people will support you and your team!

Bobby Deluca
Erie, PA
Mother.nature..1 landmines.....0

anytime animals are in the mix
humans are shown their usefulness
I wish we could say as much about
humanity!!!!!

Amazing...cool rats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hannah Kohl
Bellingham, WA
I understand the (anonymous) person's comment about it not being completely just to use any type of animals to find landmines, but I don't think that the concern is particularly rational in the big picture. The rats are being used in a supervised and careful manner. The humans nearby working with the rats are also in danger. I see this as a team effort between man and animal. If you can be sad about a rat who doesn't weigh enough to set off the landmine, then you should also be sad about the poor little wildebeast or elephant (depending on the country) who steps unsuspecting on the mine and is blown to kingdom come. Come on, there's a problem and these guys are solving it in a thoughtful and mature way with great care towards both humans and animals.

Finding a mine with a little rat who seems to enjoy his work (or at least his treat!) is genius. The rats are held, kissed, hugged, and part of a community, which rats LOVE! It's hard to imagine living in a country where stepping on a mind is a constant thrum of fear and possibility. I'm proud of Bart and his team, both human and rodent, and I also applaud him for reaching out to those who have been affected by mines and finding them meaningful work.

It's amazing what one person can do when they follow their passion, then reach out to help others on a global scale. Bravo!

Lexington, KY
But the rats still die. I like the idea of building remote control robot toy cars to seek out and blow up the mines.

hafidh alawi
richmond hill, ontario-canada
Wow, that is a real great idea. Nothing to say much but BIG -UP. You are doing the right thing to help people from getting hurt, especially the people in that most poor country.

daniel odole
minneapolis, MN
I like your idea, you are doing a great job. Did you try it in a rural area like the Ethiopia-Gambella area? Think about it. Thanks

(anonymous)
This was an amazing story. It's so refreshing to see these documentaries and movies now coming out with positive news about my friends, the rats! I personally breed pedigreed pet rats to make them stronger, healthier, and live longer lives. I love my rats so much and I know how sweet they are and what great pets they make but so many people think of them as gross or disposable. Thanks for this wonderful story!

Scott H
Los Angeles, California
Regarding opinions on sentimental drivel by (anonymous) and editorial care concerning the nuances of Pavlov vs. Skinner by Mr. Grossmann, I have a humble suggestion: giving the rats a day off and just skipping [yourselves] through some of the mine fields in question.

Kam Patterson
Saint George, UT
In addition to making great pets, rats are now helping rid the world of landmines and disease. Is there nothing that these amazing creatures can't do? Oh, BTW "anonymous", these rats are so Heroes.

Rafael Bejarano
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
The reporter described the procedure used to train the rats as the pavlovian method, when it is actually an operant method. Whereas Pavlovian learning (e.g., a learned fear of spiders) involves the presentation close in time of two events (e.g., seeing a spider and then being bitten by it), operant learning occurs because the learned behavior (e.g., a rat's sniffing) produces consequences that are important to the animal (e.g., the sound of a clicker that often accompanies the receipt of food).

dar es salaam, tanzania
i think this guy is a genius.

Ellen Kimball
Portland, Oregon
I just happened to catch this amazing show about HERO RATS on KOPB-TV in the middle of the night. That was just a few days after seeing Pixar's 3 excellent new animated movie, Ratatouille. Wow! It's a good week for RATS! Thanks so much for this excellent program.

In peace,

Radio Lady
(volunteer audio host at OPB Portland, OR)

Margaret Gee
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Wonderful, heart-stirring story. I used to be horrified of rats, until approximately 2 years ago, when my son wanted one for a pet. When I "caved in" and said "yes", it took me only a week to realize what awesome creatures rats truly are, and how misinterpreted they can be! They are all too often viewed derogatively. I have since come to own some 15 rats, various varieties, and each one has made the perfect pet. They each have their own personalities, and they are so intelligent, affectionate and playful! I have always been an animal lover, but since I have become a rat lover, it has taken my awareness and appreciation for ALL life to a much deeper level. I would absolutely love to be able to own one of these African Giant Pouched rats for myself. Their lifespan is much longer than that of your fancy rat, dumbo rats, etc. I will research this option more, looking for places to purchase or if there are regulations preventing me from being able to own one of these fabulous creatures. I am absoultely awestruck!

espanola
Very proud of what you are doing. Don't give up and keep up the good work.

(anonymous)
Great story! When will the video be available on the Web? Can't wait to share it!

Roman
Fresno, CA
Kudos to Bart and his team. Amazing work. Move over "Ratatouille" here come the "Hero Rats." Would like to know how Ararat got his name. Thank you Frontline!

Michelle Doss
Corpus Christi, TX
What a great segment. I only wish that they weren't considered disposable, with all the time and training they receive.These are intelligent animals, and are being used in a way to help, and should always be respected as such.

Chicago, IL
I was AMAZED by this story. I hope we can speed up the process to help eliminate landmines forever.

Thank you "Hero Rats", Bart Weetjens, the rat trainers and the field landmine detection teams. Please let me know how I can get the "Hero Rat" T-shirts for friends and family and maybe this could be a way to help raise funding and sponsorship for the work that is being done to train of rats and support the field landmine detection workers.

Thank you for your very your brave work.
MAU, RN
Chicago, IL

Cynthia Martz
Sacramento, CA
I am so happy to hear this. Hooray for Bart Weetjen, his dedicated and brave crew and the Hero Rats!!!

(anonymous)
This is highly inspiring! And I agree with anonymous's comment, couldn't have said it better myself((anonymous)"It was so refreshing...").

(anonymous)
I really enjoyed the show. But, I also don't think that it justifies our use and potential sacrifice of animals in military testing, if that is what the show was also trying to say. While it may not be inhumane to use animals in this way, it is a necessary evil, and we should not lose sight of that. We see fit to use land mines for conflict resolution, the consequences of which are injuring and killing people. Then we use animals to help us clean up our mess. That's sad really that we have come down to that.

Megen M
Denver, CO
It was a wonderful story! My first reaction was "those poor rats", but when I learned the rats are less likely to set off the mines than heavier dogs, I thought it was fabulous! I've always loved animals and I have worked with lab rats myself. They can be intelligent and companionable. They are terribly underrated and I applaud Bart Weetjens' work.

Sadie Bohn
Naples, Florida
Awesome! Using rats to help save lives is a great idea. I am- yrs. old and I own a pet rat. His name is Louigi and he is my little joy. Thanks to my mom's friend, I now know a lot about rats and what intelligent little creatures they are. I am glad that Louigi's relatives are so helpful. I hope that anyone who does not like rats and watches this documentary will start to think differently about rats. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

(anonymous)
We create these land mines that kill and maim people in the first place. It is a woeful shame how we put animal lives at risk as well for our human-made brutality. Then we put a sick twisted justification for it by saying these animals are "heroes" for saving human lives. They are not heroes. They are simply usable and disposable animal fodder exploited to sort out the horrible consequences of our despicable creations. Just say it like it is and don't get all mushy about it to expiate the horribleness of our war technologies. It is inhumane to use animals in this way, but unfortunately "necessary" to the extent that we aren't willing to stop our brutality against fellow human beings and to the extent that there are no, or very few, human volunteers to do the job of detecting and neutralizing these land mines. It is truly wonderful that children can learn and play at school without fear of stepping on a mine. But, remember it is we who created these devastating mines, and so only we placed these children in danger and killed and maimed other children. Not the animals. Yes, what is done is done, and it is now our duty to sort our mess out. By all means use the rats. But, don't give us the sentimental drivel. You got it right when you say "rats are lighter, cheaper to maintain and less susceptible to tropical disease." They are test subjects and tools to do our dirty work. Just leave it at that. Thanks.

Trappe, MD
Fantastic article. Thank you so much for airing. I would like to know how to send a donation to assist this cause. Please tell me how.

Mr. Leslie Spaiser
Concord, CA
I have handled (lab) rats and they are quite cute.Now they are heroes. What a great idea. Congratulations Mr. Weetjens. Your documentary was inspiring.

Beth Haag
Denver, CO
What a wonderful story!!!! I love all animals and I've always thought rats were interesting and beautiful creatures! It was so inspiring to see them helping humans in such a wonderful way. Thanks to the founder of Hero Rats and to all the rats that are doing such important work!

Joe Grossmann
Chicago, IL
Frontline, thank you for producing excellent TV. The June... episode of WORLD was generally illuminating. I would urge you, however, to exercise a bit more editorial care with regards to basic science. In "Tanzania - Hero Rats," reporter Alexis Bloom took the word of Bart Weetjens on faith when he claimed his work was "classic conditioning," and then proceeded to describe his procedures as "Pavlovian" in your broadcast. Most college freshmen who passed Psych 101 would catch this error. Weetjens is actually using procedures studied by B.F. Skinner and his students roughly 30 years later; these methods are known as operant conditioning. Pavlov's classical conditioning was based on the concept of simple stimulus-response chains (e.g., salivating in the presence of food). Operant conditioning is a much more complex and powerful extension of the work pioneered by Pavlov, in which consequences are used to increase or decrease the probability of future behaviors under certain conditions (aka occasions or discriminative stimuli). Skinner's model of behavior is similar to Darwin's model of natural selection in its breadth and depth, unlike Pavlov's model, which is much too limited to predict the sort of complex behavioral adaptations we see in all species, including rats in a minefield. Pavlov's dog might be the easiest example of conditioning for non-scientists to recall, but please give Skinner (who preferred rats, pigeons, and people) his proper due. Operant conditioning remains in use by behavioral clinics, corporate training centers, pharmacology laboratories, zoos, and dog kennels throughout the world. You'd be hard-pressed to find Pavlovian practitioners in any of these areas.

Roger Williamson
Wittman, Maryland
Saw the show,wow! I had thought Bill Gates should fund and build metal-detecting remote control cars for youngsters to find mines. This is way better!

(anonymous)
It was so refreshing to see a story where science is deployed for a humane purpose, and also with a humane viewpoint toward rats. Too often science displays a cold attitude, as typified by the treatment of lab rats, that is mirrored in the callous treatment of humans.

naty echeverri
new york, ny
AMAZING! How is something like this possible? Some humans really really use their brains! CONGRATULATIONS!