ANTALYA, Türkiye, 25 June, 2026 — APOPO and its Turkish search-and-rescue partner, GEA Arama Kurtarma, welcomed representatives from AKUT, ANDA, and IHH to Antalya for a site visit focused on disaster preparedness, inter-agency cooperation, and an introduction to the RescueRATs research initiative.
The visit brought together leadership from several of Türkiye’s volunteer search-and-rescue organizations, AKUT, ANDA, and IHH to discuss joint operational processes and ways to strengthen cooperation in disaster preparedness and response.
APOPO’s RescueRATs program is a late-stage research initiative exploring how trained African giant pouched rats could support search-and-rescue teams in complex disaster environments, including earthquakes and structural collapses. Building on APOPO’s decades of experience training rats for humanitarian detection work, the project combines the rats’ agility and scent-detection abilities with a technology-enabled backpack fitted with tools such as a camera and two-way communications. In 2025, six trained RescueRATs relocated from APOPO’s training headquarters in Morogoro, Tanzania, to Antalya, Türkiye, where they are continuing advanced training in environments that more closely reflect real-world disaster conditions.
APOPO’s Search and Rescue Program Lead, Dr. Danielle Giangrasso, presented the initiative to the Turkish search and rescue teams and led an in-depth discussion on the project’s current development, operational potential, and technical considerations.
The group then observed a live demonstration at the Research Center’s simulated debris site. RescueRATs Daniel and Jo successfully located two mock victims hidden in the debris, while the technology-enabled backpack also detected the victims through its camera system.
Following the demonstration, representatives from AKUT, ANDA, and IHH met with APOPO’s RescueRATs, training team, and project engineer to exchange questions and observations.
“We were encouraged by the level of engagement and constructive discussion from these prominent search and rescue teams in Türkiye,” said Dr. Giangrasso. “The operational insights shared by experienced responders are invaluable as we continue to evaluate and refine the potential role of RescueRATs in disaster response.”
The visit was an important opportunity to share the RescueRATs initiative with Türkiye’s wider search-and-rescue community and gather practical feedback from experienced operational teams.
