The brave Magawa has died. The rat that saved thousands of lives in Cambodia

A rat decorated with medals might seem a bit comical, but in this case humor is set aside. The little golden medal was awarded to the mouse Magawa for his service to the organization APOPO, whose goal is to detect landmine-contaminated areas, clear them of mines, and thus make another piece of precious land accessible to locals, which previously was too dangerous to cultivate. We also supported Magawa and visited him several times during our stay in Cambodia. The news of his death saddened us deeply. Let us remember his importance at least with the following article, which we dedicate to this rat hero.

Magawa – brave lifesaver

Magawa performed his service precisely in Cambodia, which is still considered one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. This is a remnant of the bloody genocide by the Khmer Rouge, who killed or severely injured more than 64,000 residents in the country. Thanks to the work of Magawa, his rat colleagues, and the entire team, mines in rural areas of Cambodia are being found by the hundreds.

There are several reasons why rats are used for mine detection. These animals have a perfectly developed sense of smell, and if they undergo the right training, they are able to sniff out the chemicals inside mines and mark the location. Their reward is, of course, a treat. At the same time, their weight is so low that they can run through minefields without any fear of activating the devices with their small paws and causing an explosion.

A rat cannot do without a human – and a human cannot do without a rat either

Because of this, Magawa was able to search an area the size of a tennis court within thirty minutes, which would take an ordinary person with a detector several days. Nevertheless, this rat hero was never alone during searches – a human with a detector always accompanied him to confirm his findings.

According to statistics, rats have collectively found nearly 65,000 mines hidden in the ground, thereby protecting about 1.7 million people from potential injury or even death. Therefore, it is important to highlight and remember heroes like Magawa, who enjoyed a well-deserved rest in his final years and became a role model for many of his successors.

Photo source: PDSA