Landmine-hunting rat Ronin makes the Guinness World Book of Records
Landmine-hunting rat Ronin in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines. (AFP: Preah Vihear)
In short:
A landmine-hunting rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines.
Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly war remnants.
Ronin beat the previous record, held by hero rodent Magawa.
A landmine-hunting rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance.
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, according to Belgian charity APOPO.
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, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines.
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 died in 2022.
APOPO said Ronin may have two years or more of detection work ahead of him.
"He's not just an asset, he's a valued partner and colleague," Ronin's handler Phanny said.
Cambodia remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms from decades of war starting in the 1960s.
Ronin sniffing for landmines in a mine field in Preah Vihear province. (AFP: Preah Vihear)
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.
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 north-western 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.
AFP