A new disaster-response project launched in the Mediterranean province of Antalya is set to deploy trained rats to help locate survivors trapped under collapsed buildings, in what organizers say is a first-of-its-kind application worldwide.
Under the “Hero Rats” project, six African giant pouched rats receive training to assist search and rescue teams by detecting human scent inside earthquake rubble and other disaster debris.
Chosen for their highly developed sense of smell, small size and agility, the animals can move quickly through narrow voids that are often inaccessible to rescuers and search dogs.
Each rat wears a lightweight backpack equipped with a camera and GPS tracker, allowing rescue teams to monitor their movements in real time.
When a rat detects signs of human life, it pulls a small trigger attached to a bell, sending a signal to computers outside the rubble to indicate a potential survivor’s location.
Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya, Belgium-based nonprofit APOPO, the GEA rescue association and Ankara University are jointly executing the project.
Named Jo, Carusa, Wagner, Billy, Kiria and Daniel, the six rats were trained in Tanzania before being brought to Türkiye.
APOPO has more than 25 years of experience training rats for humanitarian work, including detecting landmines and identifying tuberculosis in medical samples.
However, this marks the first time the animals are being systematically tested for use in urban search and rescue operations.
Project officials stress that the rats are not intended to replace rescue dogs but to work alongside them as complementary tools.
Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal said the project reflects the need for innovative preparedness in a country frequently affected by natural disasters.
“We hope these animals are never needed,” he said, “but we must pave the way for such innovative projects.”
