Support APOPO’s RescueRATs

Search and Rescue

As you may know, APOPO’s research team have been busy with finding new applications for our HeroRATs and, some time ago, we started training our rats to find people in debris sites, so that they may assist in real-life rescues of people in collapsed buildings – RescueRATs as a concept was born! As with all scientific ventures, testing hypotheses and then developing an idea can take many years, but we are proud to say that, with your help, we have already accomplished a lot. 

[Update June 2025]
We’ve reached a major milestone: six trained RescueRATs have successfully relocated from Tanzania to Antalya, Türkiye. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in our mission to support earthquake-prone regions with life-saving detection technology.

The rats undertook a carefully planned journey from our headquarters in Morogoro, Tanzania, to their new home in Türkiye. Thanks to the tireless efforts of APOPO teams and our partner GEA Search and Rescue Association, all rats arrived safe, happy, and healthy.

Your Past Donations at Work 
– Your donations have helped us successfully construct six transport cages and six temporary housing cages for rat travel and deployment.
– All of our RescueRATs have received their travel vaccinations, health inspections, and passports.
– We are in the final steps of obtaining import and export permits for the rats and sourcing local veterinarians in the area.
– Our design plan for custom-made kennels has been finalized.
– We have begun sourcing local supplies for the rats, including water bottles, bedding, clay pots, enrichment items, avocados, and bananas.

The rats are currently settling into their new environment in Türkiye, where they’ll soon begin hands-on training and integration with GEA’s search and rescue teams. These early preparations are crucial to ensure they’re fully equipped to respond swiftly and effectively when real-world emergencies arise.

As this program continues to develop, we are still fundraising for future cohorts of RescueRATs and hope you can consider supporting this important venture.