LATIMES/ A fascinating report /
In 2009, 695 people were killed by mines in Colombia, 56 of them children.
Next year, the army plans to use rats to detect and help dispose of hundreds of thousands of mines planted by the FARC rebels.
Why rats? Rats are light so they do not detonate explosives, as dogs sometimes do and they are better at detecting explosives masked with coffee grounds, feces, fish, mercury and other substances.
"The more I work with rats, the more I am amazed at what they can do," said veterinarian Luisa Fernanda Mendez.
ALSO: The parties to the Mine Ban Treaty have given Colombia ten more years to remove anti-personnel landmines from its territory.
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/13256-colombia-gets-landmine-removal-extension.html
Popular Posts
- SERBIA / LIBYA : Are Serbian Mercenary Pilots Bombing Protestors In Tripoli?
- BRASIL: Shocking Amazonas Police Brutality... Caught On Tape.
- CHILE / EU : 26 Jan UPDATE: Santiago Hosts Latin American Summit; EU Warns Of Protectionism; Some Protest Raul Castro.
- BRASIL/ LIBYA: S.Paulo Surgeon Claims Gadhafi Had Cosmetic Surgery in 1995.
- COLOMBIA: FARC Female Rebel Captivates Dutch.
- EU / SPAIN / PORTUGAL / ITALY / GREECE : Solidarity Strike Causes Travel Misery Across the Eurozone; Clashes/Arrests/Injuries In Athens, Madrid.
- BRASIL: 23 Cops Get 156 Years In Jail For Carandiru Prison Massacre.
- BRASIL / ITALY / GUATEMALA / USA / RUSSIA: 1 Dead, 7 Injured In Rio Fuel Tanks Fires/ Blasts; Ruby Heartstealer Admits Lying About Silvio's Sex Parties, Money; Ex-Prez Alfonso Portillo Extradited To USA For Money Laundering; Moscow Bans VKontakte By 'Mistake.'
- MEXICO / USA : Culiacan's Famous Narco Cemetery; Border Patrol Shoots It Out With Narcos.
- CUBA / NORWAY / RUSSIA : New Oil Rig Arrives Off La Habana.