Sounds like something from The Weekly World News, but I found this in the TMQ column on www.nfl.com :
In Praise of Giant Rats
Last year, Tuesday Morning Quarterback noted of monkey pox, then in the news, "Researchers think the monkey-pox outbreak was triggered by prairie dogs that came into contact with an infected Gambian giant pouched rat. Forget how this chain of events could be figured out in such a short time, while science is still unable to determine why women are wide awake after sex, and men want to sleep. The real question: What caused innocent, trusting little prairie dogs to come into contact with Gambian giant pouched rats?"
My item clearly implied skepticism about the Gambian pouched rat. Turns out I spoke too soon! Today these plucky creatures are helping clear Mozambique of land mines from its civil war. Dogs have been trained as land-mine sniffers, but if they step on the mine, no more dog; three-pound Gambian pouched rats are too light cause detonation. These rats have exceptionally powerful noses, being able to sense the slightest trace of the nitro compounds in explosives. And while dogs will sniff for mines for a while and then get bored and want to frolic, Gambian giant pouched rats possess noble clarity of purpose: So long as they are given a chunk of banana for each mine found, they will tirelessly, single-mindedly spend every waking hour searching for another. Giant Gambian pouched rats of Mozambique, Tuesday Morning Quarterback salutes you!
I think this is legitimate. I've seen similar stuff in my own newspaper fairly recently. Most rodents are fairly intelligent, rats and related species are anyway, and they are easy to train to find mines. They learn very quickly that finding the correct stuff will get them rewarded with food, so they will eagerly sniff away. They also mature quickly and are easily replaceable (compared to a dog).
Edi
Warwolf Urban Combat Specialist
Why is it so goddamned hard to get little assholes like you to admit it when you fuck up? Is it pride? What gives you the right to have any pride?
–Darth Wong to vivftp
GOP message? Why don't they just come out of the closet: FASCISTS R' US –Patrick Degan
The GOP has a problem with anyone coming out of the closet. –18-till-I-die
This is like old. Very old.
Saw a report on it some long time ago... They look kinda cute...
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
The BBC had this story as a filler item on the day of the last British general election. It made my day.
I remember a Belgian scientist, holding a lively giant minehunting rat, who informed the reporter that "this one is named Steve, after my brother." I wonder how Steve felt about that?
Asked if the system was cruel and dangerous, she replied (IRRC):
"Ah, but you see, the rats do not explode."
And they showed the frankly bizarre alternative version of the concept, which houses a ordinary European rat in a bicycle-wheeled cage with a hole in the bottom. The rat sticks its head out the hole while some poor son-of-a-bitch pushes the contraption over the suspected minefield. The rat is trained to react to the scent of explosives. How does it react? I dunno. By squeaking?
"Oh, a lesson in not changing history from Mr I'm-My-Own-Grandpa! Let's get the hell out of here already! Screw history!" - Professor Farnsworth
(in reference to terrorists) And if you want to get people out of caves, use a shitload of New York rats. You know the rats will be going 'Hey come on! (sniff) Raid! Aahah! I eat pussy -- literally; bring it on!
Bastards.