Hero rat which detected landmines in Cambodia wins UK bravery award
- The giant African pouched rat has discovered 39 mines and 28 items of unexploded ordinance in the past seven years
- More than 60 million people in 59 countries continue to be threatened by such devices
Magawa, a giant African pouched rat, was awarded the PDSA’s Gold Medal for his “life-saving bravery and devotion” after discovering 39 landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordinance in the past seven years, according to the charity.
First known as the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA started as a free veterinary clinic in 1917 and has recognised heroic animals since 1943.
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Rat wins gold medal for detecting landmines in Cambodia
Magawa was trained by a Belgian organisation that has taught rats to find landmines for more than 20 years. The group, APOPO, works with programmes in Cambodia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to clear millions of mines left behind from wars and conflicts.
Magawa is the group’s most successful rat, having cleared more than 141,000 square metres of land, the equivalent of some 20 soccer fields.
APOPO chief executive Christophe Cox described Magawa’s medal as a huge honour “for our animal trainers”.
“But also it is big for the people in Cambodia, and all the people around the world who are suffering from landmines,’’ Cox said. “The PDSA Gold Medal award brings the problem of landmines to global attention.”