‘Hero’ rat Magawa dies
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s landminesniffing rat Magawa, who found more than 100 landmines and explosives during a five-year career, has died at the age of 8, leaving a lasting legacy of saved lives in the Southeast Asian nation.
Magawa, who died over the weekend, was the most successful “HeroRAT” deployed by international charity Apopo, which uses African giant pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis.
“Magawa was in good health and spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm, but towards the weekend he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days,” the non-profit organisation said in a statement.
Scarred by decades of civil war, Cambodia is one of the world’s most heavily landmined countries, with more than 1,000km² of land still contaminated.
Illustrating the extreme risks involved, three Cambodians working to clear mines died on Monday in Preah Vihear province, bordering Thailand.
Apopo said Magawa’s contribution allowed communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play more safely.
The rat even received a gold medal in 2020 from Britain’s People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals for “lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty”.