Magawa, a landmine detecting rat who was awarded a gold medal for his service, has been commemorated with what is believed to be the world’s first statue dedicated to a mine clearing rat.
The statue, carved from local stone by artists, was unveiled in Siem Reap in Cambodia on Friday, ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness observed on April 4.
Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo before being deployed to Cambodia in 2016, where he used his sense of smell to detect chemical compounds in explosives and alert handlers for safe removal.
During his service, he detected more than 100 landmines and other explosives and cleared over 141,000 square metres of land.
In 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for his service, becoming the first rat to receive the honour.
Magawa, died in 2022 at the age of eight.
