Scent-sational! Zoo welcomes pair of giant pouched rats

Capri and Sun are known for their size, smarts and keen sense of smell

Which animal at the zoo has the keenest nose? Asian elephants, African painted dogs or black bears probably come to mind - but a new pair of sniffers might have them beat. Capri and Sun are East African savannah pouched rats, a species known throughout the world for its smarts, size and sense of smell. The duo arrived at the zoo earlier this year, and they're already showing off their remarkable skills to visitors.

"Pouched rats are very intelligent, and they have some of the best noses in the world," said Eliza Lee, who oversees the zoo's ambassador animal area. "In Africa, these rats are trained to sniff out landmines and signs of illegal wildlife trafficking."

At the zoo, Capri and Sun hunt for lavender-scented targets, hidden under leaves. When they find one, they're rewarded with a favorite snack like a piece of sweet potato or broccoli. While training or meeting visitors, care staff walk the rats on leashes and small harnesses. Well, not that small.

"People are always surprised by their size," Lee said. "Pouched rats can be 30 inches long and weigh more than three pounds. That's as big as a small dog!"

Capri and Sun live behind the scenes in the zoo's ambassador animal area, but Lee says they often venture out to help guests learn more about their species. Visitors to the zoo will have a chance to meet these remarkable rodents in the animal encounter theater, where they occasionally appear at the zoo's twice-daily keeper chats held at 12:30 and 2 p.m.

East African savannah rats get the "pouched" part of their name from their hamster-like cheek pockets, which they use for storing food. They're found in the savannahs and forests of Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Oregon Zoo partners with the Niassa Carnivore Project in this region, whose work provides education and training for people living inside Niassa Special Reserve, while mitigating carnivore attacks and working to reduce disease risk for people and wildlife - including East African savannah pouched rats.