In brief
Ronin, an African giant pouched rat, has set a world record by locating 109 landmines and 15 unexploded ordnance items, making a significant contribution to land safety in Cambodia. Trained by the charity Apopo, Ronin's success comes after years of conflict left the country with millions of lingering explosives.
Apopo, based in Tanzania, currently boasts 104 rodent recruits, aptly named HeroRATS, which are adept at detecting dangerous chemicals in mines. Unlike humans with metal detectors, these rats can navigate a tennis court-sized area in about 30 minutes without triggering the explosives due to their light weight. Since 1998, Cambodia has dealt with the fallout from two decades of civil war, leaving a dangerous legacy of mines that still pose risks to daily life. Ronin's achievements have surpassed those of Magawa, a previous record-holder who found 71 mines and was awarded a gold medal in 2020. Apopo has been pivotal in clearing 169,713 explosives globally in its 25 years of operation, with over 52,000 removed from Cambodia alone. The organization continues to intervene in regions affected by conflict, including Ukraine and South Sudan, but approximately four to six million landmines still lie hidden beneath Cambodian soil.
