Cambodia, demining rat Magawa retires after 5 years of service

2021-06-04T21:38:23.572Z

The African rat Magawa, who was clearing land in Cambodia, identifying 71 mines and earning a gold medal, retires after 5 years of service. The rodent, which weighs 1.2 kilos and is 70 centimeters long, is now 7 years old and has gotten slow. Magawa will remain in service for a few weeks, just in time to lend a hand to the training of the new recruits. In 2020 the Magawa rat was awarded the Gold Medal for Courage by the International Non-Profit Veterinary Association PDSA. Magawa was the first medal-winning rat in PDSA's entire 77-year history.