Faith Nyasuguta
An African giant pouched rat, famed for aiding the discovery of over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia, has passed away.
Dubbed Magawa, the rat stood out not only for his magnificent record sniffing out the chemicals in unexploded devices but also his long service.
Two years ago, Magawa, was the first rat to be awarded a gold medal for gallantry by the British charity called The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).
Experts concluded that the African giant pouched rat has a strong sense of smell and can be trained quickly- skills which make it excellent at searching for mines.
Magawa lived to eight years– particularly long for his breed.
The giant rat retired in 2020 after five years in the fields of Cambodia.
According to the charity Apopo, there are just over 100 other rats doing the same work across the globe.
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