Cambodia unveils a statue of famous landmine-sniffing rat Magawa
6 hours ago
- #Animal Heroes
- #Landmine Clearance
- #Magawa
- Magawa, a landmine-sniffing rat, was honored with the world's first statue dedicated to a rat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, coinciding with International Mine Awareness Day.
- He detected over 100 mines and explosives in Cambodia, cleared 141,000 square meters of land, and was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in 2020 for life-saving service.
- Trained by Apopo, HeroRATS like Magawa are safe due to their light weight, can also detect tuberculosis quickly, and are used in anti-trafficking efforts.
- Cambodia aims to be mine-free by 2030, with the statue serving as a reminder of ongoing demining efforts and international support needed.
- Another Apopo-trained rat, Ronin, set a new world record in 2025 by finding 109 landmines and 15 unexploded ordnance items since 2021.