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, Magawa was able to detect a chemical compound within explosives and alert human handlers to the presence of mines, allowing for safe removal.
During his time in service, Magawa cleared over 141,000 square meters (1,517,711 sq ft) of land—equivalent to about 20 football pitches. He could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes. In 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, known as the George Cross for animals, for his 'life-saving devotion to duty,' marking him as the first rat ever to receive this honor.
Following a brief retirement due to age, Magawa passed away in 2022. Apopo's Cambodia Programme Manager, Michael Raine, emphasized that the monument stands as a reminder to the international community that significant work remains in the area of demining, with Cambodia setting a target date of 2030 to become mine-free. Since the 1990s, Apopo has trained rodents for various humanitarian tasks, including detecting tuberculosis and preventing wildlife trafficking.
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, Magawa was able to detect a chemical compound within explosives and alert human handlers to the presence of mines, allowing for safe removal.
During his time in service, Magawa cleared over 141,000 square meters (1,517,711 sq ft) of land—equivalent to about 20 football pitches. He could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes. In 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, known as the George Cross for animals, for his 'life-saving devotion to duty,' marking him as the first rat ever to receive this honor.
Following a brief retirement due to age, Magawa passed away in 2022. Apopo's Cambodia Programme Manager, Michael Raine, emphasized that the monument stands as a reminder to the international community that significant work remains in the area of demining, with Cambodia setting a target date of 2030 to become mine-free. Since the 1990s, Apopo has trained rodents for various humanitarian tasks, including detecting tuberculosis and preventing wildlife trafficking.
