Rat earns world record for sniffing landmines in Cambodia

A landmine-hunting rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance, a charity said Friday.

Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly war remnants since his deployment to northern Preah Vihear province in August 2021, the Belgian charity APOPO said in a statement.

Five-year-old Ronin has been named the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in the organisation's history.

"His exceptional accomplishments have earned him the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat, highlighting the critical role of HeroRats in humanitarian demining," APOPO said.

Ronin beat the previous record, held by hero rodent Magawa who found 71 landmines and 38 UXOs during his five-year service before retirement in 2021.

Magawa, who was awarded a gold medal for heroism for clearing mines from about 225,000 square metres of land -- the equivalent of 42 football pitches -- died in 2022.

Ronin may have two years or more of detection work ahead of him, APOPO said.

"He's not just an asset, he's a valued partner and colleague," Phanny, Ronin's handler, said in the statement.

Cambodia remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms from decades of war starting in the 1960s.

After more than 30 years of civil war ended in 1998, Cambodia was left as one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

Deaths from mines and unexploded ordnance are still common, with around 20,000 fatalities since 1979, and twice that number wounded.

Two Cambodian toddlers were killed in February when a rocket-propelled grenade believed buried since the country's civil war blew up near their homes in northwestern Siem Reap province.

Cambodia had aimed to be mine-free by 2025, but the government pushed the deadline back by five years because of funding challenges and new landmine fields found along the Thai border.

suy/pdw/dhc

© Agence France-Presse