A famous mine-clearing rat, who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has been commemorated with the world's first statue dedicated to a landmine-detecting rat. Magawa, who lived to eight years old, sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia during his five-year career that started in 2016. A statue of the rodent carved from local stone by artists was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Friday, in time for the International Day for Mine Awareness on 4 April. Landmines remain an ongoing risk to Cambodia, and more than a million people continue to work and live on land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, according to the United Nations.
Magawa was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo before moving to Cambodia to begin his bomb-sniffing career in 2016. Using his acute sense of smell and training to detect a chemical compound within explosives, Magawa would then alert human handlers of mines that could be safely removed. During his time, Magawa cleared more than 141,000 square metres (equivalent to about 20 football pitches) and could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes.
In 2020, Magawa was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for his life-saving devotion to duty, being the first rat to receive this honor in the charity's 77-year history. Following a short retirement due to old age and slowing down, Magawa passed away in 2022.
The new monument serves as a reminder to the international community of the ongoing effort needed in mine clearance, with Cambodia aiming to be mine-free by 2030. Apopo has been training its rodents, also known as HeroRATS, since the 1990s, given their small size which allows them to detect landmines safely without triggering them.
Magawa was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo before moving to Cambodia to begin his bomb-sniffing career in 2016. Using his acute sense of smell and training to detect a chemical compound within explosives, Magawa would then alert human handlers of mines that could be safely removed. During his time, Magawa cleared more than 141,000 square metres (equivalent to about 20 football pitches) and could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes.
In 2020, Magawa was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for his life-saving devotion to duty, being the first rat to receive this honor in the charity's 77-year history. Following a short retirement due to old age and slowing down, Magawa passed away in 2022.
The new monument serves as a reminder to the international community of the ongoing effort needed in mine clearance, with Cambodia aiming to be mine-free by 2030. Apopo has been training its rodents, also known as HeroRATS, since the 1990s, given their small size which allows them to detect landmines safely without triggering them.
