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New Delhi: Cambodia has unveiled a statue to honour Magawa, a famed landmine-detecting rat whose work helped save countless lives. The extraordinary tribute is timed to the International Day for Mine Awareness.

An extraordinary monument

The monument, installed in Siem Reap, recognises the extraordinary career of the African giant pouched rat named Magawa, who was trained by the NGO Apopo to sniff out explosives. During his years of service in Cambodia, Magawa located dozens of landmines and unexploded ordnance, clearing large areas of dangerous land and making them safe for local communities.

The unveiling ceremony, attended by officials and local residents, was described as a symbolic gesture of gratitude. The statue is believed to be the first of its kind dedicated to a working animal of this nature, underscoring the vital role such animals play in humanitarian demining efforts.

Magawa, born in Tanzania in 2013, was deployed to Cambodia in 2016 after extensive training. His keen sense of smell allowed him to detect TNT in explosives while ignoring scrap metal. This made him extremely efficient, more so than traditional methods. Over his career, he became the most successful “HeroRAT” in APOPO’s programme and was awarded a prestigious gold medal for bravery in 2020.

Magawa reportedly retired in 2021 and died the following year at the age of eight. Though he is no longer alive, Cambodian authorities hope the statue will both commemorate his contribution and draw attention to the ongoing threat posed by landmines.