In Cambodia, a statue was unveiled in honor of the famous mine-detecting rat Magava, awarded a gold medal for heroism. BBC reported this.
The rat, nicknamed “Magava,” lived for eight years. From 2016 onwards, for five years, she helped locate over 100 mines and explosive devices in Cambodia. A statue made of local stone was erected in her honor and officially unveiled on April 4, on the eve of International Mine Awareness Day.
According to the UN, mines in Cambodia still pose a serious threat. Over a million people continue to live and work in areas with unexploded mines.
Magava was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo and brought to Cambodia in 2016 for mine detection. Using her acute sense of smell, she detected chemical compounds in explosives and signaled experts about the mines, which were later safely neutralized.
During her career, Magava cleared more than 141,000 square meters — roughly the size of 20 football fields. She could inspect an area the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes. In 2020, she received the PDSA Gold Medal for “devotion to saving human lives,” becoming the first rat to earn this award.
Due to old age and slower movements, Magava, who had briefly “retired,” passed away in 2022. According to Apopo’s Cambodia program manager Michael Ryan, Magava’s statue “reminds the international community that work still needs to be done here.”
The Cambodian government aims to become mine-free by 2030. Since the 1990s, Apopo has trained special “HeroRAT” rats. Their light weight prevents mines from detonating, making them safer for humans.
“They can even detect tuberculosis faster than traditional lab methods,” said Apopo. These rats are also used in Tanzania to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Another Apopo rat — Ronin — has found 109 mines and 15 unexploded ordnances since 2021, setting a new world record in 2025. Its results in Preah Vihear province surpassed Magava’s previous record.
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