Cambodia has deployed its next generation of mine-sniffing rat troops as part of efforts to step up mine clearance efforts in a country that has been plagued by unexploded ordnance (UXO) for decades.
Recently, 20 African giant rats were imported from Tanzania and put through rigorous training.
“They are all easy to work with and don’t care who the instructor is,” instructor Soe Maren said during a training session for seven recruits on Friday in Preah Vihear province on the Thai border.
“Any of us can be their handler and, most importantly, they don’t bite.”
Scarred by decades of civil war, Cambodia is one of the world’s most heavily mined countries, with more than 1,000 square kilometers (621 square miles) of land still contaminated.
It has the highest per capita rate of amputees in the world, with more than 40,000 people losing limbs to explosives.
The new RAT group replaces a recently retired group that included Magawa, who found 71 mines and 28 unexploded ordnance during their five-year tour of duty, according to APOPO, an international organization that specializes in landmine and tuberculosis detection.
Last year, Magawa was awarded a gold medal by the British Animal Welfare Society for “life-saving bravery and devotion to duty”.
Handler Thor Mullen said the rats have an extraordinary sense of smell that guarantees results and the only difference between them is how quickly they work.
“The small difference is that Magawa is a heroic rat who worked faster than the others,” So Malen said.