Magawa, the celebrated mine-clearing rat lauded for his heroic efforts, has been memorialized with the world’s inaugural statue dedicated to a landmine-detecting rodent.
Magawa, who lived to the age of eight, detected over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia during his five-year career, which began in 2016.
The statue, carved from local stone by Cambodian artists, was unveiled in Siem Reap on Friday, coinciding with the International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4.
Landmines continue to pose a significant threat in Cambodia, with over a million people residing on land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, according to the United Nations.
Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, underwent training by the Belgian charity Apopo before commencing his bomb-detection career in Cambodia in 2016.
Utilizing his exceptional sense of smell and specialized training to identify chemical compounds within explosives, Magawa would alert his human handlers to the presence of mines, enabling their safe removal.
During his service, Magawa cleared more than 141,000 square metres (1,517,711 sq ft) of land – an area equivalent to 20 football pitches – and could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes.
In 2020, Magawa was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal – often referred to as the George Cross for animals – in recognition of his “life-saving devotion to duty.” He was the first rat to receive the prestigious award in the charity’s 77-year history.
Following a brief retirement due to old age and “slowing down”, Magawa passed away in 2022.
Apopo’s Cambodia Programme Manager, Michael Raine, stated on Friday that the monument to Magawa “is a reminder to the international community that there’s still a job to be done here.”
Cambodia aims to be mine-free by 2030, he added.
The charity has been training its rodents, known as HeroRATS, since the 1990s.
Due to their small size, the rats are not heavy enough to detonate mines, making them a safer alternative to human deminers.
They are also capable of detecting tuberculosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs, far more rapidly than traditional laboratory microscopy, according to Apopo.
They have also been trained to combat illegal wildlife trafficking in Tanzania.
Another Apopo-trained rat, named Ronin, set a new world record in 2025, uncovering 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance since 2021.
Ronin’s remarkable achievements in Cambodia’s northern Preah Vihear province surpassed the previous record held by Magawa.
The Humboldt pair brighten up the day as they waddle for a cuddle at a Stoke-on-Trent care home.
Health officials in Worcestershire say they want to prevent outbreaks similar to one in 2024.
It is believed to be the first wolf attack on a human since the animals began to reestablish themselves in Germany decades ago.
Ronaldo the snake gives birth to 12 tiny reptiles without mating, two years after first rare birth.
Marwell Zoo says it will not give up the search for missing capybara Samba.