The Optimist Daily · 5 hours ago

Cambodia Honors the Rat Who Cleared More Landmines Than Anyone | the Optimist Daily

Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, spent five years detecting landmines in Cambodia, clearing 100 devices and returning 35 acres to safe use - work that earned him a gold medal and, recently, a bronze statue unveiled ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness. His small size allowed him to cross suspect ground without triggering explosives, and his keen sense of smell meant he could sweep a tennis court-sized field in 20 minutes, a task that would take a person with a metal detector several days. The monument, Apopo writes, is "a symbol of hope and resilience" that "makes visible the ongoing impact of landmines and the quiet work of HeroRATS saving lives every day." More than one million Cambodians still live on land contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, and the rats Magawa trained alongside continue the painstaking work of restoring what decades of conflict took away.