Are there any cultural problems with handling rats?
In APOPO’s experience, all trainers who have been employed to train the animals (mostly Tanzanians) have picked up the job quickly. There have been no cases of fear among the trainers or cases of mistreating or rough handling of the rats, behavior that could initiate fear in them. In general, we observe quite gentle handling and respectful interaction with the animals. Based on this positive experience, APOPO expects that users in the demining community will quickly get accustomed to this new approach. Future experience at different locations might reveal cultural differences related to the acceptance of mine-detection rats. There have been some areas where demining dogs were not appreciated on religious grounds. Thus far, the initial reactions of the beneficiary communities and demining organizations have been very positive.
