A landmine-detecting rat in Cambodia has made headlines by breaking records! Meet Ronin, a five-year-old African giant pouched rat who recently uncovered his 100th landmine and 15 other dangerous items. Trained by the charity Apopo, these remarkable rats are helping communities reclaim dangerous land that was once feared.
After 20 years of civil conflict that ended in 1998, millions of unexploded munitions still pose a threat to people in Cambodia. Ronin's impressive feat surpassed the previous record held by another HeroRAT named Magawa, who sniffed out 71 mines back in 2020 and even earned a gold medal for bravery!
Apopo trains these rodents to detect chemicals found in landmines without setting them off—making them safer than human deminers. In just 30 minutes, one rat can check an area the size of a tennis court, while a human might take four days using a metal detector. The organization has removed over 169,000 landmines globally, including more than 52,000 in Cambodia alone.
However, the struggle isn’t over yet; experts estimate that between four to six million landmines remain buried in the country. Ronin’s groundbreaking work not only highlights the importance of animal assistance in war recovery but also provides hope for future safe living in affected communities.
