Rat ambassadors show off their ability to help humans and wildlife

San Diego Zoo wildlife care specialist Lauren Credidio looking on as Runa, an African giant pouched rat, searches for a pouch of chamomile tea during a presentation at the zoo recently. Photos: AP

As an ambassador for rats, it’s never easy to win over the public. There’s that hairless tail, after all.

But Runa at the San Diego Zoo, in the United States, is doing her best to counter the bad press. She is one of a handful of such so-called ambassadors showing off the virtues of rats at three US zoos. The rats were provided by a Tanzania-based organisation that is training African giant pouched rats to combat wildlife trafficking, detect diseases and perform other useful tasks.