In Cambodia, a statue was erected in honor of Magawa, the famous rat awarded a gold medal for mine detection. BBC reported this.
Magawa lived eight years and from 2016 to 2021 discovered more than 100 mines in Cambodia and safely neutralized them. The statue is made of local stone and was unveiled on April 4 — the eve of International Mine Awareness Day.
According to the UN, mines in Cambodia remain dangerous, and millions of people continue to live in hazardous areas.
Magawa was trained by the Apopo organization and used her keen sense of smell to detect mines, signaling experts. She cleared 141,000 square meters — about 20 football fields. In 2020, she received the PDSA Gold Medal “George Hogg” for devotion to saving human lives, becoming the first rat to receive this award.
Due to old age and slower movement, Magawa died in 2022. The Apopo program manager stated the statue reminds the international community that work here is not yet complete.
Since 1990, Apopo has trained HeroRATS. They are light and safe, do not detonate mines. They are also used in Tanzania to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Another rat, Ronin, has detected 109 mines and 15 unexploded ordnance since 2021, setting a new world record in 2025.
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