Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Landmine-Sniffing Rat Hailed as Hero, Beats Out Dogs for Award
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
September 25, 2020

Share

LONDON — A rat has for the first time won a British charity’s top civilian award for animal bravery, receiving the honor for searching out unexploded landmines in Cambodia.

Photo of Cambodian landmine detection rat, Magawa
In this undated photo issued by the PDSA, People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, Cambodian landmine detection rat, Magawa is photographed in Siem, Cambodia. (PDSA via AP)

Magawa, a giant African pouched rat, was awarded the PDSA’s Gold Medal for his “lifesaving 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 heroic animals since 1943.

Magawa was trained by a Belgian organization that has taught rats to find landmines for more than 20 years. The group, APOPO, works with programs 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 meters of land, the equivalent of some 20 soccer fields.

APOPO chief executive Christophe Cox described Magawa’s medal as a huge honor “for our animal trainers.’’

More Than 60 Million People in 59 Countries Continue to Be Threatened by Landmines and Unexploded Ordinance

“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.”

More than 60 million people in 59 countries continue to be threatened by landmines and unexploded ordinance, according to APOPO. In 2018, landmines and other remnants of war killed or injured 6,897 people, the group says.

While many rodents can be trained to detect scents and will work at repetitive tasks for food rewards, APOPO decided that giant African pouched rats were best suited to landmine clearance because of their African origins and lifespan of up to eight years.

Photo of Cambodian landmine detection rat, Magawa
In this undated photo issued by the PDSA, People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, Cambodian landmine detection rat, Magawa is photographed in Siem, Cambodia. A British animal charity on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 has for the first time awarded its top civilian honor to a rat, recognizing the rodent for his “lifesaving bravery and devotion” in searching out unexploded landmines in Cambodia. (PDSA via AP)

Their size allows the rats to walk across mine fields without triggering the explosives – and do it much more quickly than people.

The PDSA’s Gold Medal has been awarded since 2002 to recognize bravery and acts of exceptional devotion by animals in civilian service. It is considered the animal equivalent of the George Cross, a decoration for heroism.

Before Magawa, all the recipients were dogs.

PDSA also awards the Dickin Medal for military service. The medal has been awarded to 34 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and one cat since it was created in 1943.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

2 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

3 hours ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating family members of a Fresno man who died last month. F...

17 minutes ago

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is seeking the public’s help to locate the family of Felipe Pech, 68, of Fresno, who died on April 23, 2025. (Fresno County SO)
17 minutes ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

Felecia Johnson is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for May 30, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
1 hour ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

2 hours ago

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

2 hours ago

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

3 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

3 hours ago

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

3 hours ago

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

3 hours ago

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend