NOBODY LOVES A DIRTY RAT, RIGHT? BUT what about an African giant pouched rat, a Goliath-sized rodent weighing 1.5-2kg (three to four times the size of our own brown rat) and native to the savannahs of southern Africa?
Over the past 25 years, these giant rats - known as 'hero rats' by the people who train them - have been used to detect deadly landmines and tuberculosis pathogens in medical samples.
Now, there's even more reason to love these rodents - they could play an important role in fighting the illegal wildlife trade, thanks to their amazing sense of smell.
Esta historia es de la edición January 2025 de BBC Wildlife.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 2025 de BBC Wildlife.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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TREES FOR LIFE
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WHEN DOVES CRY
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SURVIVAL OF THE CUTEST
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FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
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7 nature encounters for the month ahead
WITH NATURALIST AND AUTHOR BEN HOARE
