Magawa is a special soldier. At six years of age, this African giant rat, 75 centimeters long and just over one kilogram in weight, has become the first of its kind to receive the medal of valor from the British Veterinary Association (PDSA). All this thanks to his work in locating landmines in Cambodia, where between four and six million artifacts were placed between 1975 and 1998 that killed more than 64,000 people.
Since this distinction was created 77 years ago, the PDSA has honored all kinds of dogs, cats, horses and even pigeons that have stood out for their value in different fields. But never to a rat so Magawa has become an example of overcoming for a species that has not always been looked upon favorably. And it is that, from being trained by the Belgian NGO Apopo several years ago, Magawa has become a real antipersonnel mine radar.
Can be detected 39 minas antipersona 6 28 restos explosivos
At almost six years of age, the rat has discovered 39 antipersonnel mines and 28 explosive remnants in Cambodia. Some records, never before achieved by a rat of these characteristics, which have led it to obtain this special distinction. A gold medal, adapted to the conditions of the animal, which rewards the work of a soldier who has cleared almost 141,000 square meters of land from mines, the equivalent of 20 football fields.
And how do you train a rat to locate antipersonnel mines? Teaching them to detect a chemical compound within explosives in exchange for prizes like peanuts or bananas, Magawa’s favorites. As soon as the animal smells this compound underground, it begins to excavate the area to warn of the presence of the explosive. Despite the fact that other animals such as the dog have a better sense of smell than the rat, its light weight allows it to pass over the mines without them exploding.
Magawa can scour the terrain equivalent to a tennis court in just half an hour
Thanks to this, rats can perform this task much faster and safer than a dog or a human with a metal detector. As highlighted by the PDSA, Magawa can scour the terrain equivalent to a tennis court in just half an hour whereas a person would take four days with a metal detector. However, there is still a lot of work to do. The organization highlights that, today, there are still 80 million landmines spread throughout the world.
Therefore, the work of rats like Magawa is critical to saving lives around the world. Despite the fact that the human being continues to perform this type of task, rats become a luxury ally in the fight of a problem that has killed thousands of people globally.
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