He spent 5 years discovering mines by his sense of smell

The rat "Magawa" has retired from his "military work" after an award-winning career

  • Magawa alerted deminers by scribbling on the soil.

    AFP

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A giant African rat named Magawa, who spent years detecting landmines in the Cambodian countryside by smell, will finally be enjoying a well-deserved rest eating bananas and peanuts, the association responsible for it said.

Magawa, who is originally from Tanzania, was trained by the Belgian charity Abobo, which says the rat helped clear 225,000 square meters of mines, the equivalent of 42 football fields, during his five-year career. Years.

But after discovering 71 landmines and 38 unexploded ordnance, "he was starting to feel tired," said Michael Hyman, the charity's program manager in Cambodia.

"The best thing in this case is retirement," he added.

Millions of landmines were laid in Cambodia between 1975 and 1998, causing tens of thousands of casualties.

The Belgian Society trained Magawa rat in his native Tanzania to detect the chemical compound inside explosives, by giving him tasty rewards, with a preference for bananas and peanuts.

It alerts deminers by scribbling on the soil.

Magawa can scan an area the size of a tennis court in just 30 minutes, which could take up to four days if a conventional metal detector was used.

Its size is large enough to be attached to a chain as it works, and it is light enough not to detonate mines if it passes by.

In his retirement years, Magawa will spend more time doing what he loves, according to Hyman: eating bananas and peanuts.

And last September, the rat won the equivalent of the UK's highest civilian award for bravery in recognition of his uncanny talent for detecting landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Magawa was the first rat to receive the BDES Medal in 77 years of awards, joining a famous group of brave dogs and cats, and even pigeons.

• "Magawa" helped clear 225 thousand square meters of mines, which is equivalent to the area of ​​42 football fields.

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