Tanzania: Hero Rats

June 26, 2007

10m

Inside an effort to train giant rats to sniff out deadly unexploded land mines — and save lives

Tanzania: Hero Rats

June 26, 2007

10m

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Land mines are the legacy of countless bloody conflicts. Bart Weetjens founded a unique lab in Tanzania dedicated to training rats to sniff out those deadly unexploded mines. Although dogs had traditionally been used to help humans detect mines, Weetjens, who had long felt a special bond with rodents, realized that African giant pouched rats were lighter, cheaper to care for, and less susceptible to tropical disease.

In Hero Rats, FRONTLINE/World reporter Alexis Bloom accompanied Weetjens to neighboring Mozambique to watch his organization’s trained rodents in action.

Hero Rats was re-released digitally in July 2026 as part of an ongoing effort to make...

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