A rat litter is generally between 3-6 pups that remain undisturbed with mama for the first few weeks. At 4-5 weeks they open their eyes and soon after begin their #socialization and #habituation. Support our pups: bit.ly/3F0tafw
#APOPO #training #heropups #futureheroes
APOPO Ukraine trainees building capacity at our Dog Training Center with CMAC. Safeguarding, 1st aid, basic manual demining: essential safety & operational skills. Grateful for support from HGBF & partner @minesadvisorygroup.bsky.social as we continue investing in nationally led mine action.
APOPO #HeroTREEs implemented a #SyntropicAgroforestry system at the Belgian Embassy in Tanzania. This plot shows how regenerative farming can restore soil, boost biodiversity, and build #ClimateResilience while producing food. Thanks to Belgium for its longstanding support!
Kiitos HeroRATsien työn tukemisesta.
APOPO was honored to host a Belgian delegation in Cambodia, incl. Ambassador H.E. Michel Parys & DGD colleagues. They visited our minefields to see #HeroRATs, #HeroDOGs & Risk Education in action. Grateful to @belgiummfa.bsky.social for supporting mine-free communities #SDG17
The African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) has large pouches in its cheeks for storing food. Coarse fur except on their long tail, which helps with balance and coordination. The tails also help dissipate heat for temperature regulation. #HeroRATs #APOPO #powerfulnose
We’re proud to share that #HeroRATs are featured in Ep6 of "My Best Friend’s an Animal". Produced by Big Wave TV for Love Nature, the series highlights the unique bond between dedicated trainers and African giant pouched rats, and how that partnership helps save lives. #APOPO
We love our @herorats.bsky.social!! APOPO trains rats to detect TB (and landmines!) TB detection rats screen samples quickly & accurately, helping APOPO shorten the time between detection and treatment in communities where access to diagnostics remains limited.
projectforawesome.com/videos/apopo...
New peer-reviewed research featuring #APOPO has been published in Frontiers. It shows our #HeroRATs can detect petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil, and distinguish contaminated soil above regulatory thresholds from clean soil for the first time. bit.ly/4a8r4pP
When disaster search methods reach their limits, #RescueRATs can help. #APOPO is training rats to locate survivors under rubble. With support from the Svenska Postkodlotteriets Stiftelse and in partnership with GEA Arama Kurtarma .
Watch: youtu.be/rD-gV1if5E0
#postkodeffekten #projectforchange
At APOPO, animal welfare is our top priority. HeroRATs are extremely well cared for, receiving an excellent diet, routine vet care, regular exercise, stimulation & enrichment, & loving attention from our expert handlers.
Learn more - apopo.org/herorats/ani...
No, most work around 4 to 5 years and are then retired. No animal has ever been killed or injured working in any APOPO program during our our 25 plus years of operations. apopo.org/herorats/ani...
Thanks to the support of @undp.org Ukraine,
APOPO & @minesadvisorygroup.bsky.social
are helping Ukraine accelerate safe land release with Technical Survey Dogs.
Learn more: youtu.be/6d08IR8nq20
#APOPO #HeropDOGs #MineAction #TechnicalSurveyDogs #PartnershipForGood
#APOPO hosted partner TAWA at our Training Center to review progress on our Wildlife Detection Rat project, strengthening detection capacity to combat wildlife trafficking in Tanzania. With support from 🇩🇪 GIZ & Anne Innis Dagg Foundation. #HeroRATs #ProtectBiodiversity
Before #HeroRATs ever set foot on a minefield, they go through discrimination training: learning what to detect, AND what to ignore. Through carefully structured sessions using positive reinforcement, #APOPO trainers build focus & confidence. #ClickerTraining #PowerfulNose
Technical Survey Dogs (TSDs) are transforming land release. They search 25–30m lanes in dense vegetation, without manual gridding or vegetation cutting, getting safe land back to communities faster, without compromising safety.
#APOPO #AnimalDetectionSystems #HeroDOGs
"Land release" is the operational framework for survey & clearance done by #APOPO.
The process combines different methods for a more efficient release of safe land to local communities. Take a look at APOPO's approach explained in the infographic.
#MineAction #SavingLives
Ally didn’t know he was seriously ill until he started coughing blood. #Tuberculosis killed 1.23M people in 2024 but is curable. APOPO’s #HeroRATs speed up TB detection, getting patients like Ally treatment faster: bit.ly/3YKiDd1
#StopTB #SDG3 #LeaveNoOneBehind
Thank you for supporting little Jane! Here she is with her name sake, the late Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE.
African giant pouched rats have a very sensitive sense of smell. Research at APOPO has found that our #HeroRATs are capable of smelling explosives in minute picogram quantities. This is equivalent to 1 trillionth of a gram of TNT!
infographic © Kate Francis (Scholastic)
This week, food and hygiene materials were distributed to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Cambodia by #CMAA. #APOPO was invited to deliver Mine Risk Education to help reduce dangers and support safer, informed recovery for affected communities.
#EORE #MineAction
Yes! His vest contains a device that sends his location to staff. When he locates a victim trapped after a natural disaster, he'll pull that pendant and send a signal to rescue teams. youtu.be/tuShm833KW8
New Year, new day, new goals 💪
#RescueRATs gearing up to search for people in our mock debris site, getting ready to sniff out hidden survivors in collapsed buildings. Every search preparing them for the real thing. Have a great year everyone!
#SearchAndRescue #ScentDetection #HeroRATs #APOPO
Thank you and happy new year!
It's a wrap! As the final day of the year unfolds, we want to express our heartfelt THANK YOU. 🙏
Your support and generosity are the driving forces behind our work, and it's thanks to you that this year has been a resilient one, despite its challenges. ✨ Happy New Year! 🎇
#tuberculosis (TB) is airborne, preventable and curable. Yet every day TB claims thousands of lives and pushes people into poverty. At #APOPO, with the help of our #HeroRATs, we diagnose 48% more patients for partner clinics who then receive life-saving treatment.
#SDG3 #EndTB
This festive season, we want to thank you for your incredible support throughout 2025. Your generosity continues to transform futures and make a difference in communities around the world.
Warmest wishes for the festive season! 🎄💫
#APOPO #Gratitude #together #HappyHolidays
In #MineAction, colors save lives:
🔴 Red = danger / uncleared land
⚪ White = cleared & safe
🟡 Yellow = landmines found & destroyed
🔵 Blue = deminer lane start & finish
Standardized by International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) to protect people.
#APOPO #SafetyFirst
Every yellow-tipped marker represents a danger that once lay hidden just beneath the surface, it marks the exact spot where a #landmine was found and later destroyed. We're grateful to players of UK People's Postcode Lottery helping
enable our life-saving work.
#APOPO #demining #SavingLives
The first ever RATATHON for the @herorats.bsky.social was a huge success - if you missed out participating, there will be more in the future! 🐀
Erin at APOPO made this special thank you video for everyone who donated & participated. The end has a cute surprise...THANK YOU HERO RAT HELPERS!
