Let’s rethink rats. There are still around 110 million active landmine around the world, and detecting and destroying them is not a cheap or easy process, partly due to the weight and inefficiency of humans. Rats on the other hand, are extremely efficient at detecting landmines and other explosives and are being used around the world to help return land to local communities.

The organisation leading the way with rats is APOPO. Not only can the rats detect TNT, they are also used to detect tuberculosis and are now being trained for search and rescue, to detect people trapped under rubble.