Alberta's Rat-Free Status
Despite occasional claims to the contrary, Alberta has maintained its rat-free status for 75 years.
University of Alberta anthropology professor Darcie DeAngelo researches rats' relationships with humans, including their use in landmine detection.
The rat was a different actor in the minefield, so it created a different choreography of landmine detection.
DeAngelo's research began when she was studying military wasteland and minefields, and discovered that in Cambodia, rats are used to detect landmines by scent, as they are light enough to safely walk across them without detonating them.
Author's summary: Alberta's rat-free status is researched by a U of A professor.