Stories: Land Mines
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Mozambique: A Step to a Landmine-Free World
A single step can change a life forever. Lazaro Virniz Rice was a soldier on patrol with the Mozambican army when he walked into a field next to the road. He stepped on a landmine, causing an explosion that blew off his left foot. A de-mining team works in central Mozambique to remove the deadly legacy of war. That...
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Rats! The Best Noses for FInding Landmines
Rain makes for hard conditions when sniffing out explosives. Abraham’s nose is strong enough and he smells the landmine buried below. A giant pouched rat, he furiously digs at the ground below him. A loud click breaks the activity and Abraham sprints straight across for his treat, a small sweet banana. After a hard day of...
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Meet Abraham, a Hero Rat
This morning I met Abraham: He has just detected an anti-tank mine. As soon as he sniffs TNT, one of his trainers sets off a clicker. When the rat hears the sound, he scurries over to be hand fed a miniature banana. This five-month old African Giant Pouched Rat, so named for its chubby cheeks, is only...