A Belgian non-profit that trains animals to save lives is fitting rats with tiny, specialized backpacks to help emergency crews search for survivors in the event of building collapses. The project from APOPO is currently in the testing phase, with rats being sent into a simulated disaster area to practice performing rescues.
According to researchers on the project, their small size, excellent sense of smell, and adventurous nature make them the perfect animal to help in disasters like earthquakes. The rats are trained to pull a switch on their backpack that triggers a beeper, and the backpacks also include a location transmitter and a two-way microphone.
Source: New York Post