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59
starsabove 59 points ago +61 / -2

In fairness, APOPO is a worthwhile group.

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Art-Vandelay41 35 points ago +36 / -1

Did I just read that the rats detect landmines and tuberculosis

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MAGA_Flocka_Flame 11 points ago +13 / -2

I bet since this lady can smell Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, it would be possible to train the rats to do that too

https://archive.is/RgoCO

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Spicy_maymay 2 points ago +2 / -0

I can smell who in my family has Alzheimer's too, pro tip:

It's the one who never remembers to wipe his ass

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hloblart 1 point ago +1 / -0

I don't think the main reason for using rats to find mines isn't just their sense of smell(pretty sure other animals do that better, in general (hounds, bears, etc), though rats may be better at certain compounds in the case of tuberculosis)

It is the fact that they are lightweight and lighfooted(so they are less likely to set mines off, and probably more expendable).

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Chickapede 6 points ago +6 / -0

The best animal to be trained to find landmines is a Democrat, because in case a landmine goes off, the trainers don't become as attached to the Democrats, so it's better for morale. Democrats aren't as easy to train as rats, though. Not quite as intelligent.

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starsabove 2 points ago +2 / -0

It is the fact that they are lightweight and light footed(so they are less likely to set mines off, and probably more expendable).

Not really less expendable, it still takes a while to train them properly. But they require less space to house, and take less food & water. A single equipped trailer can house dozens of trained rats, with both food and water for months of operation. The same trailer could house only 1 or 2 dogs.

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MAGA_Flocka_Flame 2 points ago +2 / -0

I just also sort of figured that while dogs are in most places, rats are EVERYWHERE so thats why they picked them

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deleted -7 points ago +3 / -10
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loric4882 3 points ago +4 / -1

You are simply unaware of a commonly known fact

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BloodElfSupporter 2 points ago +3 / -1

The pede was simply sharing. Whether it’s true or not it’s up to the person reading (we have brains, you know?)

No need to sound harsh

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anonymousdonor 1 point ago +1 / -0

Never go full retard boys.

1
hloblart 1 point ago +1 / -0

You can't smell an illness unless it creates an external bodily change.

Why is it hard to believe that a disease creates a subtle external bodily change?

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ColonelCottonHill 1 point ago +1 / -0

If I remember right dolphins

If I remember right dolphins raped my boy.

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Dennislearsysbastard 9 points ago +10 / -1

It's an honest living. Dogs can detect terminal cancer.

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HockeyMom4Trump 12 points ago +13 / -1

Probably more accurately than some doctors.

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deleted -14 points ago +1 / -15
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loric4882 10 points ago +10 / -0

How hard is it for you to duckduckgo 'dogs detect cancer'

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Dirk_Diggler 2 points ago +2 / -0

"I don't understand it, so everyone is wrong." You are a fucking retard.

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FUJIMO_1977 3 points ago +3 / -0

No, Covid, if you gerbil it up your ass, it can sniff out COVID... You know you have it, if it backs out on its own and you don't gotta go to the ER. My wife's BF told me that.

It's also 1000 percent more effective that Chinese asshole saw test, but it goes further than 2 inches. Also, only baby rats unless you have alternative experience

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deleted 2 points ago +2 / -0
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LiskaEman 16 points ago +16 / -0

I was coming in to say exactly this; I've donated to them in the past and they're amazing! And the rats are so interesting, I'd never seen ones so large before.

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FuckU/Spez 8 points ago +8 / -0

You must not be from a poor country... I remember I was 5 years old and our cat caught a rat almost as big as himself. It was huge! I'm 46 now but never forgot how big it was

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LiskaEman 6 points ago +6 / -0

Correct! I’m in fancy pants New England, god help me!

Wow, that sounds kinda amazing, And an impressive feat by the cat too!

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FuckU/Spez 3 points ago +3 / -0

"Fancy pants New England" ... checks in the white privilege chart... yep! White Privilege 😂😂😂😂. America is the best country in the world! MAGA!

1
FormerGraveheart 1 point ago +1 / -0

Usernames can contain slashes? What a world we live in!

1
hloblart 1 point ago +1 / -0

Population density probably has more to do with how common rats are. They seem to be plentiful enough in most big cities.

Pretty sure first world cat catching initiatives increase the rat populations.

Not sure if being in a poor country would make them bigger.

Seem to get big enough in well off Sweden

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26764929

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5869015/Swedish-town-told-doors-windows-closed-plague-GIANT-RATS-size-cats.html

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HiddenDekuScrub 1 point ago +1 / -0

Even pet rats get pretty huge though. Particularly the males. The one in the picture looks to have white and brown patches... You'd usually expect that on a hamster. That's a domestic rat.

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CatfishJack 2 points ago +2 / -0

Must not have ever been to NYC. They got ‘em big as Rottweilers.

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LiskaEman 1 point ago +1 / -0

I have actually! Boston too, just haven’t seen the giant ass rats yet 😅

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PaigeAshley 7 points ago +7 / -0

They are SO cool! I have a heart for rats, have had them as pets for years, so this is just awesome!

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KekistanPM 11 points ago +11 / -0

Never had one as a pet, but I did have hamsters growing up. They weren't exactly the smartest rodents, but they were adorable and they knew that you looked out for them. Especially when you gave them Honey Nut Cherrios.

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PaigeAshley 6 points ago +6 / -0

Hamsters are sweet. Especially the larger European hamsters. :)

Rats are also extremely friendly! And smart, and yes, they love honey nut cheerios as well. :D

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Donger-Lord2 4 points ago +4 / -0

Mine got killed by the cat. Poor bastard stood no chance, escaped from his cage.

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HiddenDekuScrub 2 points ago +2 / -0

Rats are like hamsters, just much bigger and smarter.

Hamsters have softer coats though.

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FireannDireach 8 points ago +8 / -0

I had two, in high school. My sister had a rat, one of the "siamese" breeds she paid a lot of money for. Seemed fun, so I got two females from the pet store. Mine were fun until the first night, when they decided to have Wrestlemania at 3am on a school night. crashsqueakcrashsqueal*.

They both died within two months of cancer. Pet store rats are so inbred (raised as snake food) they have very short life expectancies. It's a shame, as they're very intelligent. But they're pests and disease carriers and wreck farms and homes, in the wild. But pet rats can be a lot of fun.

I discovered my passion...er...addiction later, with fish tanks, and reef fish.

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McCloud3 4 points ago +4 / -0

I'm going down the fish tank rabbit hole now. Freshwater. .win fish geeks?

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FireannDireach 4 points ago +4 / -0

It's rewarding, and expensive. And heartbreaking. My last reef tank got wiped out by a rock with polyps that had been properly quarantined and acclimated. That's the breaks - and how you kill several hundred dollars of live coral.

I miss having seahorses, my favorite, but I can't right now. Soon.

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loric4882 2 points ago +2 / -0

Many fish over on animals.win

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ouvrez_les_yeux 5 points ago +5 / -0

Those rats are adorable!

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Ramias 4 points ago +4 / -0

The rat’s name is Magawa?