By Our Correspondent

National News – A statue has been unveiled in Cambodia to honour Magawa, a famous landmine-detecting rat that saved lives by sniffing out explosives.

The monument was revealed on Friday in Siem Reap during events marking the International Day for Mine Awareness.

The statue recognises Magawa’s remarkable service in locating dangerous landmines and unexploded ordnance, helping communities reclaim land once considered deadly.

Magawa, an African giant pouched rat trained by the Belgian charity APOPO, worked in Cambodia from 2016 to 2021, using its strong sense of smell to detect the chemical compounds in explosives.

During its five-year career, the heroic rodent helped locate more than 100 landmines and other explosive remnants, clearing over 141,000 square metres of land—an area roughly equivalent to 20 football pitches.

Handlers would guide Magawa across suspected minefields, and when the rat detected explosives, it signalled the location so experts could safely remove the devices.

Because of its light weight, Magawa could move across minefields without triggering the explosives, making the animal an effective and safer alternative to manual detection methods.

In recognition of its extraordinary work, Magawa received the prestigious PDSA Gold Medal in 2020—often described as the animal equivalent of the George Cross for bravery.

The award made Magawa the first rat in the charity’s 77-year history to receive the honour.

Magawa retired due to age-related slowing down and died in 2022 at the age of eight, but its legacy continues.

According to APOPO officials, the newly unveiled stone statue serves as both a tribute and a reminder that landmine clearance efforts are still urgently needed.

The United Nations estimates that over one million people in Cambodia still live or work on land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, a legacy of past conflicts.

Authorities have set a national goal of making Cambodia mine-free by 2030.

Meanwhile, another APOPO-trained rat named Ronin the HeroRAT has continued the mission.

Working in Preah Vihear Province, Ronin set a world record in 2025 after detecting 109 landmines and 15 unexploded ordnance items, surpassing Magawa’s previous record.

The statue now stands as a symbol of courage, innovation, and the unusual heroes helping to make former war zones safe again.