Antalya, Türkiye, 9 January 2025 – This week, APOPO took part in two important events in Türkiye that marked a key milestone for the RescueRATs research project. Developed in collaboration with GEA Arama Kurtarma, Ankara University, and the Muratpaşa Municipality, the project brings together scientific research, emergency response expertise, and local leadership to explore new approaches to disaster search and rescue.
These engagements strengthened cooperation between partners in Türkiye and highlighted the importance of evidence-based research in addressing real-world humanitarian challenges.
The RescueRATs project began in Tanzania, where APOPO first developed and validated the training foundations for the project, drawing on our long-standing experience preparing our HeroRATs for humanitarian detection work. As the project reached an advanced stage, we moved RescueRATs to Türkiye in 2025 to continue training in advanced environments that more closely reflect real-world disaster conditions. Türkiye’s seismic risk has led to the development of a highly experienced search and rescue sector, making it an ideal environment to train and evaluate the rats in realistic earthquake-response conditions, collaborate with world-class responders, and establish a hub for future deployment.
Strengthening collaboration around RescueRATs research
The first event in January brought together representatives from APOPO, GEA Arama Kurtarma, AFAD, and the Muratpaşa Municipality. Discussions focused on the RescueRATs research project and created space for in-depth dialogue on research objectives, study design, and how innovation can be developed in line with the operational needs of Turkish expert search and rescue teams.
By involving emergency responders, academic researchers, and local authorities at an early stage, the project is being shaped with close attention to feasibility, ethics, and relevance to disaster response needs.
Presenting the project to the public
The second event was a press conference with Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal, alongside representatives from GEA Arama Kurtarma and Ankara University. During the conference, the partners introduced the RescueRATs project to the public, responded to questions from the media, and discussed the role of research-led innovation in strengthening disaster preparedness and response.
Speakers emphasized the value of cross-sector collaboration and the importance of testing new approaches rigorously before they are considered for real-world application.
Advancing RescueRATs research in real-world conditions
At APOPO, RescueRATs is a late-stage research project that builds directly on our decades of experience training animals for humanitarian detection work. The project focuses on preparing trained rats to support search and rescue teams in complex disaster environments such as earthquakes and structural collapses, where speed, access, and safety are critical.
We advanced the RescueRATs project to Türkiye to strengthen the final phases of research and training in conditions that closely reflect real-world disaster scenarios. Türkiye’s seismic risk and established disaster response infrastructure make it an ideal environment for refining the rats’ training and evaluating performance in settings that mirror operational realities.
Working in close collaboration with GEA Arama Kurtarma, Ankara University, and local and national authorities allows us to conduct this work alongside world-class search and rescue professionals and under academic supervision. These partnerships ensure that training, evaluation, and data collection are aligned with existing response practices and professional standards.
While RescueRATs have yet to be formally deployed in live disaster responses, the project is at an advanced stage. Our current work in Türkiye focuses on preparing the rats to operate reliably in environments that closely resemble real deployments and on generating robust evidence to inform future decisions about how RescueRATs could complement established search and rescue tools.
Scientific oversight, structured evaluation, and collaboration with experienced responders remain central to how we develop RescueRATs, ensuring the project is grounded in operational reality and guided by evidence at every stage.
Advancing evidence-based innovation through partnership
These two events reflect APOPO’s commitment to advancing science through collaboration and to developing innovative, evidence-based solutions to complex humanitarian challenges. By working closely with partners in Türkiye, the RescueRATs project continues to move forward through careful research, open dialogue, and shared expertise.
APOPO sincerely thanks its local partners, supporters, and donors for making this research possible and for supporting responsible, research-driven innovation.