Bomb-sniffing elephants being trained in SA

[Von Tonner]

This news item offends me greatly. Apparently elephants are being trained in conjunction with the US Army Research division to "sniff out explosives, landmines and poachers".

There is a very thin line between this exploitation of a wild animal and that of a circus owner training a elephant to stand on one foot simply to delight and demonstrate man's dominion over all animals.

An elephant is a majestic creature and whatever attributes it might have it should be left alone and NOT have those attributes exploited simply to satisfy our needs.

Eons ago, when that lone wolf sought shelter and warmth at primitive man's fire a bond was formed leading to what is now referred to as "man's best friend".

This friend already does this work for us and more - and it wags its tail in delight at being of help. This is not the work of an elephant.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/sci...-trained-in-sa

[Aktungbby]

Somewhat old news unfortunately. Even in WWI with the horse at the front creating a shortage of equine labor (near Surrey):
As with the recent thread on the running of the bulls in Spain, animal abuse is one of my pet peeves as with Jimbuna's thread on elephant abuse: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=210576 I've worked with police dogs in burgled buildings and routinely with bomb sniff-dogs in Federal buildings-usually just for training...they should leave it at that.

[Oberon]

Well said Von Tonner, and Aktungbby too. Sadly this kind of exploitation of animals has been around for a while, from mine detecting dolphins, to dogs with anti-tank mines strapped on their back.
What we've put our fellow creatures through to profit our own ends, it's quite disgraceful, and yet they always forgive us. Some days I wonder who is the superior species.

[Betonov]

There's one thing that is better at sniffing mines and are actually cheaper to aquire and maintain. DRONES !!!!

I'm at a loss why they want to send living animals into dangers way when drones will do the same job better and cheaper

Smells like some quick idea from a family appointed member of government trying to justify his/hers usage of oxygen

[Stealhead]

Can't help but think of George Orwell's short story about shooting the elephant.

We are lucky if animals could think for themselves they in a most justified choice declare war on humans.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well said Von Tonner, and Aktungbby too. Sadly this kind of exploitation of animals has been around for a while, from mine detecting dolphins, to dogs with anti-tank mines strapped on their back.
What we've put our fellow creatures through to profit our own ends, it's quite disgraceful, and yet they always forgive us. Some days I wonder who is the superior species.

QFT

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Betonov

There's one thing that is better at sniffing mines and are actually cheaper to aquire and maintain. DRONES !!!!

All depends on what exactly we are looking for.

Picking up the pattern of mine fields can be done well with a drone, but if you want to "sniff" explosives, not so good.

At this time, we don't have any sensors that can reliably detect the odors being emitted from explosives better than a well trained dog.

Where our technology excels is in the area of active sensors. When it comes to passive detection, nature still beats us.

We had great success training bees to detect the UV from HME. The only problem was that it was impossible to teach the bees recall. So the bees found the HME and swarmed around it, clearly indicating its location. But then what do you do then? Have EOD walk up to a swarm of bees? No thank you. It is tough to teach a bee to "come" "sit" and "stay".

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Platapus

We had great success training bees to detect the UV from HME. The only problem was that it was impossible to teach the bees recall. So the bees found the HME and swarmed around it, clearly indicating its location. But then what do you do then? Have EOD walk up to a swarm of bees? No thank you. It is tough to teach a bee to "come" "sit" and "stay".

Couldn't they return to the hive and do a little bomb location waggle dance ! almost like what weers do!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waggle_dance

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Platapus

All depends on what exactly we are looking for.

Picking up the pattern of mine fields can be done well with a drone, but if you want to "sniff" explosives, not so good.

At this time, we don't have any sensors that can reliably detect the odors being emitted from explosives better than a well trained dog.

There are machines that can sniff out cancer in humans just like dogs
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innova...790482/?no-ist

I'm guessing same can be achieved with chemicals in mines.



But then we have rats finding mines
A rat is too small to trigger a mine, so even the rat is not in danger.

[Stealhead]

With that sniffer machine at long last the age old question can be answered. Who farted?

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

With that sniffer machine at long last the age old question can be answered. Who farted?

Well thats easy. Whoever smelt it dealt it.

[Eichhörnchen]

Which brings us neatly to the bum-sniffing dog. My wife's family had a black lab with a fabulous talent: in a room full of people, someone could carefully and painstakingly release the quietest air-biscuit and the dog would immediately leap up from the floor, bound across the room and bury its head between the legs of the offender: old lady, vicar, didn't matter who they were...

[Stealhead]

Yeah well that to a dog is like a super greeting. You'll notice that dog will fart and to him its like Eu de la aroma. So another's fart that's beyond just the sniffing of glads that like bathing in it. I like to think that dogs fart in the presence of only those whom they consider pack members. So when they sense a human fart its an open sign of unity.

Sometimes my dog he sleeps under our bed and he let's a fart underneath such that it lofts up to the higher air he always times it too so it never when one is a state deep sleep as then the gesture would go unnoticed. He dose it to my daughter as well. Once she complained openly about this Neath the bed farting by the hound. I said he dose it because he loves you strange as it may seem to a human.

I think it ties into to human nature as well. How often dose one openly loudly and undeneyibly break wind before a stranger? Not often but before a known brother or sister of ones social unit then you do so openly.

Once my oldest brother had a girlfriend and she came to supper she also brought her friend over hoping my next in line brother might be interested. He was not her having a rather homely appearance. But he did not want to be rude and inform her of this fact. So he just let out with a loud fart at the table which of course resulted in other loud farts from my kinfolk.

The homely girl said " I can't understand why God would create such a disgusting thing" I replied "I can't believe that God created such an entertaining thing" and added my own fart for emphasis to which my sister said "amen". We never saw the homely girl again.

[soopaman2]

Hannibal Barca is angry at the tactical misuse of elephants.

He hopes they (all of you and me) all die of dropsy or plague.

[Wolferz]

Deploy the mouse bombs!