Cambodia Honors Landmine-Sniffing Rat with Monumental Statue

On Friday, a statue dedicated to Magawa, an African giant pouched rat celebrated for his mine-detection work, was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The monument, crafted from local stone by artists, marks the world’s first tribute to a rodent trained to identify explosives. Magawa, who lived to eight years old, was honored with a gold medal for his heroism, becoming the first rat to receive the PDSA Gold Medal—a title likened to the George Cross for animals—in the charity’s 77-year history.

A Career of Saving Lives

Magawa began his five-year mission in Cambodia in 2016, working under the Belgian charity Apopo. His remarkable ability to detect the chemical compound in explosives allowed him to alert human handlers to hidden mines. Over his career, he identified more than 100 landmines and other explosives, clearing 141,000 square meters of land—equivalent to 20 football pitches—while searching a tennis court-sized field in just 20 minutes.

“This monument is a reminder to the international community that there’s still a job to be done here,” said Michael Raine, Apopo’s Cambodia Programme Manager.

Magawa’s efforts contributed to Cambodia’s ongoing fight against landmines, which remain a significant threat. The United Nations reports that over a million people continue to live and work on land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. After a brief retirement due to aging and slower performance, Magawa passed away in 2022.

Apopo has been training rodents, known as HeroRATS, since the 1990s. These animals are safer than humans for mine detection due to their small size, which prevents them from triggering explosions. In addition to landmine work, they are also used to combat illegal wildlife trafficking in Tanzania and to diagnose tuberculosis faster than traditional lab methods.

Legacy and New Records

Another Apopo-trained rat, Ronin, recently set a new world record by uncovering 109 landmines and 15 unexploded ordnance items in Cambodia’s northern Preah Vihear province since 2021. This achievement surpassed Magawa’s previous record, highlighting the continued impact of these animals in mine clearance. Cambodia aims to achieve mine-free status by 2030, a goal that relies on such efforts.