WORLD / Center

Colombian police train rats to sniff out landmines
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-11 11:41

              A rat named Lola sniffs the face of a police animal trainer at a police school in Sibate, Colombia May 3, 2006. Lola is at the top of her class of risk-running rodents being trained to sniff out landmines in Colombia, home to the world's highest number of mine-related deaths and injuries last year. Police animal trainers, tired of seeing their explosive-sniffing dogs blown up by stepping on mines, hope the white-furred, pink-eyed creature will lead her classmates through upcoming open field tests and then into the Andean country's live mine fields before the end of the year. Picture taken May 3, 2006. To match feature Colombia-Rats. [Reuters]

A rat named Lola sniffs the face of a police animal trainer at a police school in Sibate, Colombia May 3, 2006. Lola is at the top of her class of risk-running rodents being trained to sniff out landmines in Colombia, home to the world's highest number of mine-related deaths and injuries last year. Police animal trainers, tired of seeing their explosive-sniffing dogs blown up by stepping on mines, hope the white-furred, pink-eyed creature will lead her classmates through upcoming open field tests and then into the Andean country's live mine fields before the end of the year. Picture taken May 3, 2006. To match feature Colombia-Rats. [Reuters]


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