Eight giant African pouched rats were able to detect four wildlife samples from 146 non-target items during this four-year ...

F orget fictional Rodents of Unusual Size – for wildlife traffickers, there are real life giant rats to be feared, after ...

Most of us are familiar with the vest-clad beagle that hunts for illegal fruits and plants in the travelers' luggage at ...

But now the organization is turning its attention (and its rats’ noses) to the global illegal wildlife trade ... regularly ...

African giant pouched rats, known for their exceptional sense of smell, are being used to detect trafficked wildlife and illegal plant trade, scientists said in the journal Frontiers in Conservation ...

The crafty rodents have especially keen noses, having been previously trained to detect landmines and the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. A trained rat wearing a special vest to alert handlers ...

Rodents could be used to find illicit goods at airports and harbors in places where dogs can’t easily access.

During indication training, they learned to hold their noses for several seconds while inside of a hole where the target scent was placed. If the rat correctly performed what the team called a ...