Magawa has been searching for mines in Cambodia since 2016, having discovered over 100 mines during his five-year career
A monument to a rat sapper who discovered over 100 mines has been unveiled in Cambodia, BBC News reported
The world’s only monument to a rat sapper who saved dozens of people has been built in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap.
A stone statue of a giant rat named Magawa was carved from local rock and unveiled on International Day for Mine Action. Magawa has been searching for mines in Cambodia since 2016, having discovered over 100 mines during his five-year career. In total, he has cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land.
In Cambodia, more than 1 million people still live and work in areas where mines and unexploded ordnance have been left behind. Rats are ideal for detecting these objects: they have an excellent sense of smell, which helps them sniff out explosives, and they are light enough not to set off a mine.
It was previously reported that giant hamster rats in vests have been trained to search for survivors in disaster zones. Small backpacks with video cameras, microphones and location tracking devices are attached to their backs.
When they locate a person, they press a button on the vest, alerting rescuers. Illustrative Photo: pexels-denitsa-kireva-2915302-14399486
