Rats Equipped with High-Tech Backpacks to Aid in Türkiye’s Search and Rescue Efforts

In an innovative step for global disaster response, a new project in Türkiye is preparing to deploy an unexpected team of heroes: rats equipped with tiny, high-tech backpacks. The initiative, launched in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, aims to use specially trained African giant pouched rats to locate survivors trapped under the rubble of earthquakes and other disasters—a pioneering application of the species in urban search and rescue.

Dubbed the “Hero Rats” project, the effort is a collaboration between Antalya’s Muratpaşa Municipality, the Belgium-based nonprofit APOPO, the GEA rescue association, and Ankara University. At its heart are six rats—Jo, Carusa, Wagner, Billy, Kiria, and Daniel—who underwent extensive training in Tanzania before their transfer to Türkiye.

Why Rats? Unique Advantages in the Rubble

The choice of the African giant pouched rat is strategic. Chosen for their exceptional sense of smell, small size, and agility, these animals can nimbly navigate through tight, unstable spaces within collapsed buildings that are often completely inaccessible to human responders and even search dogs.

“They are biological detection tools that can cover a small, complex area much faster than we can,” explained a project coordinator. “Their primary mission is to narrow down the search field, saving critical time in the ‘golden hours’ after a collapse.”

A Miniature Mobile Command Center

Each rat’s crucial tool is a custom-made, lightweight backpack. This miniaturized kit is equipped with a two-way video camera, an audio transmitter, and a GPS tracker. This allows the search and rescue team to monitor the rat’s live feed and precise location in real-time from a mobile command station.

The detection process is elegantly simple. When a rat identifies the scent of a human survivor, it is trained to pull a small, non-invasive trigger switch on its harness. This action activates a signal—such as a bell or a beacon on the monitoring system—alerting the team above to a potential location. Rescuers can then use traditional methods or audio equipment to make contact and begin extraction.

A Legacy of Lifesaving, Applied to a New Frontier

APOPO, the nonprofit behind the project, brings over 25 years of expertise in training rats for humanitarian purposes. Their “HeroRATS” are famously employed in detecting landmines across former conflict zones and screening medical samples for tuberculosis. However, this project marks the organization’s first systematic foray into urban search and rescue.

Officials are careful to note that the rats are not replacements for proven tools like search dogs or acoustic listening devices. Instead, they are envisioned as a complementary, early-phase asset capable of penetrating deeper into debris piles where other methods reach their limits.

Innovation Born from Necessity

The project is driven by Türkiye’s acute vulnerability to devastating earthquakes. Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal underscored the imperative for continuous innovation in disaster preparedness.

“In a country that lives with seismic risks, we must explore every technological and scientific avenue to save lives,” Uysal stated. “While we earnestly hope these animals are never needed in a real catastrophe, we are committed to pioneering this method. It is our responsibility to pave the way for such innovative projects and enhance our national response capacity.”

The six rats are currently undergoing final environmental acclimatization and scenario-based training in Antalya. If successful, this Türkiye-based project could establish a new, life-saving protocol for disaster response teams worldwide.

 

 

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