Not all heroes wear capes...
The highly developed sense of smell and light weight of our African giant pouched rats, nicknamed #HeroRATs, make them excellent detectors of #landmines, tuberculosis and more.
#APOPO #powerfulnose #tinybutmighty #innovation
Protecting our peace… and yours.
Even heroes need a Sunday to rest and recharge before getting back to work detecting landmines and TB.
Wishing you a restful and cozy Sunday.
#SundayVibes #APOPO #HeroRATs #SelfCare
#APOPO teams find and destroy landmines & other explosives. Safe land is a vital resource to communities in Angola ready to get back on their feet. These mines were visible when we arrived at the minefield. The team removed and destroyed 110 landmines here. #HeroRATs #StopMines #MineFreeWorld
Sunday glow up in progress. 💛
While the world slows down, our #HeroRATs are recharging too — ready for the week ahead.
Rest, reset, and take care of yourself today.
#SundayReset #APOPO #SelfCare #ProtectYourPeace
Each rat is unique. Recognizing that running away to hide is a natural survival instinct, we gave #Lanner the space and support he needed to build confidence. Through gentle exposure, Lanner learned to focus. Fast forward 3 years: he is thriving as a TB detection rat.
#APOPO #HeroRATs #SavingLives
A gambian pouched rat with a small camera backpack
a gambian pouched rat on a leash
Have some money left for a good cause this month?
The team behind the landmine clearing hero rats are currently running a fundraiser with a 50% donation match possibility:
www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-apopos-...
#rats #herorats #charity #apopo
“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” – Dalai Lama
A big shout out to our friends and supporters for believing in us. Your generosity and words of kindness motivate us more than you know!
#APOPO #HeroRATs #SavingLives
APOPO was honored to host a Belgian delegation in Cambodia, incl. Ambassador H.E. Michel Parys & DGD colleagues. They visited our minefields to see #HeroRATs, #HeroDOGs & Risk Education in action. Grateful to @belgiummfa.bsky.social for supporting mine-free communities #SDG17
The African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) has large pouches in its cheeks for storing food. Coarse fur except on their long tail, which helps with balance and coordination. The tails also help dissipate heat for temperature regulation. #HeroRATs #APOPO #powerfulnose
We’re proud to share that #HeroRATs are featured in Ep6 of "My Best Friend’s an Animal". Produced by Big Wave TV for Love Nature, the series highlights the unique bond between dedicated trainers and African giant pouched rats, and how that partnership helps save lives. #APOPO
New peer-reviewed research featuring #APOPO has been published in Frontiers. It shows our #HeroRATs can detect petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil, and distinguish contaminated soil above regulatory thresholds from clean soil for the first time. bit.ly/4a8r4pP
#APOPO hosted partner TAWA at our Training Center to review progress on our Wildlife Detection Rat project, strengthening detection capacity to combat wildlife trafficking in Tanzania. With support from 🇩🇪 GIZ & Anne Innis Dagg Foundation. #HeroRATs #ProtectBiodiversity
Before #HeroRATs ever set foot on a minefield, they go through discrimination training: learning what to detect, AND what to ignore. Through carefully structured sessions using positive reinforcement, #APOPO trainers build focus & confidence. #ClickerTraining #PowerfulNose
The first of several charity stream VODs just went up on the channel, if you missed the festivities and want to catch up ❤️
#promosky #herorats #chairty #streamer
Ally didn’t know he was seriously ill until he started coughing blood. #Tuberculosis killed 1.23M people in 2024 but is curable. APOPO’s #HeroRATs speed up TB detection, getting patients like Ally treatment faster: bit.ly/3YKiDd1
#StopTB #SDG3 #LeaveNoOneBehind
African giant pouched rats have a very sensitive sense of smell. Research at APOPO has found that our #HeroRATs are capable of smelling explosives in minute picogram quantities. This is equivalent to 1 trillionth of a gram of TNT!
infographic © Kate Francis (Scholastic)
New Year, new day, new goals 💪
#RescueRATs gearing up to search for people in our mock debris site, getting ready to sniff out hidden survivors in collapsed buildings. Every search preparing them for the real thing. Have a great year everyone!
#SearchAndRescue #ScentDetection #HeroRATs #APOPO
these rats are so amazing: detecting land mines, uxo, and even tuberculosis, and much more. In one word #HeroRats!
#tuberculosis (TB) is airborne, preventable and curable. Yet every day TB claims thousands of lives and pushes people into poverty. At #APOPO, with the help of our #HeroRATs, we diagnose 48% more patients for partner clinics who then receive life-saving treatment.
#SDG3 #EndTB
Well gamers, we finished our first official charity event. We set out with the original goal of $200, and y'all absolutely smashed it. I'm so proud of this community ❤️ #herorats #apopo #ratathon
Check out apopo.org to learn more about @herorats.bsky.social and be sure to follow them!
i'll also say that the #APOPO #HeroRATS fundraiser has since concluded
i am very grateful for everyone who attended any of my streams, everyone who donated, and the other members who raided into my streams
while my contribution of $15 wasn't as big as most others, i'm still glad we all raised $25k+
The Apopo RAT-ATHON was so fun!! Even though I didn't raise any money, other amazing creators did! I'm happy I participated and I tried my best <:)
Congrats to the fundraiser for raising $25k+ donations!!! 🎉🐀
#APOPO #HeroRATS
FINAL RATATHON STREAM! @herorats.bsky.social charity! Minesweeper, TRUE Pickle Ramen, Beanboozle, and more! #apopo #herorats #charity #fundraiser #ratathon
www.twitch.tv/jibsj
Art of the rat forms of a bunch of donators and people the donators wanted to see as rats
My time during Rat-a-thon is over! 🐀
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Thank you to everyone who has donated both in my community and in other Hero Rat Helper's communities!
I am BLOWN AWAY!
We over doubled my original goal and the full event's original goal and I can't thank you enough!
#HeroRATs #APOPO
Time for the final day of the APOPO Hero Rat fundraiser!!! Its been a wonderful week and a half, and the community has raised so much money! Let's give it a final push to get that bread!
Twitch.tv/queen_of_rats_minette
#APOPO #HeroRATS #CharityEvent
Some incredible exquisite corpses my chat made in solidarity with the apopo hero rats uwu
#apopo #herorats
Weekly schedule! Final 2 @herorats.bsky.social charity streams! Wednesday will be minesweeper all night to reach a final extended goal! #apopo #herorats #charity #fundraiser
www.twitch.tv/jibsj
TOMORROW! I'll be raising funds as a part of the Apopo Holiday Hero Rat-athon!
We'll be playing rodent themed games, maybe some jackbox, and our milestones include drawing viewers as rodents! Come on by if you'd like to get your sona rodent-ified uwu.
#HeroRats #Apopo
Stream Schedule for 12/8/25 - 12/14/25
🎨🖌️ - Monday 2PM PST - TOONS AND TUNES! | Drawing HeroRat Donation Requests!
✏️💻 - Wednesday 2PM PST - TOONS AND TUNES! | Drawing HeroRat Donation Requests!
🎡🎮 - Friday 6:30PM PST - WHEEL OF RETRO! | Where will we land next?
#Vtuber #Apopo #HeroRats #RetroGames
