"he started training giant pouched rats - an African species known for its large size, sunny disposition, and ultra-keen nostrils - to detect the faintest whiff of TNT and other explosives. Because the rats are too light to trigger the explosive, they are not harmed in the exercise; they simply signal the location of the explosive to a handler, who has it defused and removed."

I was born in the year of the rat and am fond of them when they are not gnawing on my house. Never heard of these. Good rat, Good rat....Do a good turn for us poor smell-challenged humans!