HeroRATS is a function of our parent organization, APOPO, and was created to tell the stories of our true heroes -- our HeroRATS, our staff, and the lives they touch.

APOPO’s mission is to train and disseminate sniffer rats to save human lives- by detecting landmines and disease.

Landmines hamper reconstruction and the delivery of aid, hold up the repatriation of refugees and displaced people, and deprive some of the poorest people of land and infrastructure, therefore hindering access to social and economic development. Africa is struck more by the landmine legacy than any other place on the planet. A trained HeroRAT can clear 100 m2 in 30 minutes, equivalent to two days work for a manual deminer.

HeroRATS also reliably detect pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) in human sputum samples. Tuberculosis was the first pathogen addressed, as TB kills more youth and adults than any other single infectious disease in the world today. Currently, in 7 minutes one rat can evaluate 40 samples which is the equivalent of 2 days of microscopy work for a lab technician.

This site provides an overview of our work, our latest projects, and the personal side of APOPO. The in depth descriptions and scientific material related to our work are provided on the APOPO site and links are provided throughout. We thank you for your interest and support and hope the site is a great resource to learn more about our impact and how you can be a part of this vital work.