While traditionally sniffer dogs have been responsible for detecting illegal drugs, but the use of alternative creatures is becoming more prevalent. Recently, the Public Security Bureau of the Hechuan District in Chongqing, China has successfully trained six Eurasian red squirrels to detect narcotics.
While just as effective as dogs in detecting substances, their smaller size allows them to access places that dogs cannot reach, such as high or cramped spaces in warehouses and distribution centers.
Using canine training technology, the squirrels were taught to scratch when they detected drugs. Footage from Chinese media outlet People's Daily shows the rodents scurrying between objects during a laboratory exercise.
According to police dog trainer Yin Jin, the squirrels' sense of smell is sensitive, but it took years to train them to this level of ability. The squirrels' training is part of a national research project to introduce a new unit of anti-drug animals, which may include rats.
However, despite the breakthrough, it may be some time before the sniffer squirrels are deployed. While these rodents are new to the world of public service, bomb-detecting rats have been successfully used for over a decade.
Last year, Malaga, a mine-detecting rat who was awarded an animal equivalent of a George Cross, died after a successful five-year career with Belgian charity APOPO.
