“Rats have been recast in the role of saviour after being trained to sniff out landmines. The animals … can cover an area the size of a squash court in 30 minutes …” — The Times, Thursday 1st September 2005. <br /> <br />Ignoble beast, <br />despised little gnawer, <br />persecuted, poisoned, trapped <br />since time began. <br />Now rehabilitated <br />the rat’s become <br />Man’s friend <br />and little helper <br />for him risking <br />life, limb, and tail <br />to find his unexploded landmines. <br /> <br />Lacking human speech, <br />illiterate <br />but resourceful <br />it indicates <br />the presence of a mine <br />by subtle use of <br />body language <br />thereby displaying <br />a degree <br />of sensitivity <br />hitherto quite unsuspected.<br /><br />Pete Crowther<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/man-s-new-little-friend/
