HERORATS FOR ADOPTION
Meet Jane
Jane is a young female wildlife detection rat based in Morogoro, Tanzania. Named by Dr. Jane Goodall during her visit to APOPO in July 2024, HeroRAT Jane is training to detect illegally trafficked wildlife products, including pangolin scales, rhino horn, and elephant ivory.
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Meet Baraka
Baraka is a sweet and playful young rat that has recently passed his external accreditation and is working in the minefields in Angola. He was trained under expert handlers in Tanzania at APOPO's Training and Innovation Center.
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Meet Tamasha
Tamasha is a female tuberculosis detection rat based in Morogoro, Tanzania. When working in the lab, she can search 100 human sputum samples in 20 minutes, much faster than a lab technician. Adopt Tamasha today and help us fight TB.
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Meet Ronin
Ronin is a gentle landmine detection rat and loves shoulder rides. When he is working in the minefields he is focused and hardworking. Based in Cambodia, Ronin sniffs out deadly explosives faster than current conventional solutions and in the process helps make the world a safe place.
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NOT READY TO ADOPT? MAKE A DONATION​
Help contribute to vital mine clearance and tuberculosis detection. Donate monthly, yearly, or one single time.
ADOPTION: WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE
Welcome Pack
A digital Welcome Pack stacked full of pictures, facts, figures, and quotes that will tell you everything you need to know.
Adoption Certificate
A digital certificate of your adoption of an APOPO detection rat with your name on it. Printable and makes a great gift too!
Monthly Impact Updates
Monthly updates direct to your email inbox to keep you up to date with the latest news and information from the field.
The highly developed sense of smell and light weight of our African giant pouched rats, or ‘HeroRATs’, make them ideal scent detectors.
HOW THEY HELP IN SEARCH & RESCUE
Natural disasters, such as earthquakes have devastating effects on human lives, and experts predict these events may become more frequent due to climate change.
Trained search & rescue teams act fast to locate and rescue trapped victims. Our RescueRATs could provide a unique advantage thanks to their size and agility; they can navigate debris where larger animals or humans cannot.
Outfitted with a smart backpack, these rats will relay real-time audio and video from within disaster sites, helping rescuers locate survivors quickly.
HOW THEY HELP DETECT TRAFFICKED WILDLIFE
Wildlife trafficking is one of the most significant threats to global biodiversity, pushing many species to the brink of extinction. Every year, thousands of endangered animals are illegally hunted and traded. Wildlife detection rats search for elephant ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, giraffe hide, and African blackwood (ebony).
HOW THEY SPEED UP LANDMINE DETECTION
HeroRATs sniff out the chemical compounds of TNT (explosive) found in landmines and other explosive remnants of war. They ignore scrap metal making them much faster at detecting landmines than metal detectors.
HOW THEY HELP TO DETECT TUBERCULOSIS
The APOPO tuberculosis detection rats check TB samples collected from local clinics. Any samples they indicate as suspect are reconfirmed in APOPO's lab using WHO-endorsed methods. Our research program shows that the rats can increase detection rates of partner clinics by 40%.
WHERE YOUR SUPPORT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE​
Saving Lives
Landmines and tuberculosis kill. Your support enables people to live, work, and play without fear.
Training Animals
There are over 300 animals under our care. Your support ensures they're treated like the heroes they are.
Social Change
APOPO empowers people and communities. Your support helps create jobs and improves economic and environmental conditions.
HERORATS IN ACTION
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HeroRATs detecting landmines
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HeroRATs detecting tuberculosis