The Hero Rats Project is training rodents to be sent into earthquake debris wearing tiny backpacks — so human rescuers can find and talk to stuck survivors. The innovative project is being worked on ...

Daniel is on a mission. Somewhere in the rubble and debris that surround him inside this wrecked building in central Tanzania, a survivor is trapped. Daniel is determined to find him. He navigates the ...

While the rats focused on explosives or survivors buried in rubble get all the glory, it is a group of rats inside a lab that are arguably the most impactful lifesavers. These are not typical lab rats ...

MOROGORO, Tanzania — Often dismissed as pests, rats have long been misunderstood. But the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), the world’s longest, is challenging that perception. With ...

Rats are learning to wear backpacks that can be equipped with location trackers and microphones, so the animals can help human rescuers locate survivors stuck in earthquake debris The Hero Rats ...

Rodent trainer Neema Justin, 33, shares a moment with an African giant pouched rat after an exercise in detecting illegal wildlife products at the Apopo training facility in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Tommy Trenchard / for NPR Daniel is on a mission. Somewhere in the rubble and debris that surround him inside this wrecked building in central Tanzania, a survivor is trapped. Daniel is determined to ...