Magawa, a decorated rat For detecting antipersonnel mines in Cambodia, he died last weekend at the age of 8, reported the Belgian NGO Apopo.
“Magawa was in good health and spent most of her time playing with her usual enthusiasm. As the weekend approached, she seemed slower and slept more, showing less interest in food in her last days,” he noted this Tuesday in a statement the NGO in charge of their training and care.Magawa retired last June following five years of work in which his nose has allowed him to find more than 100 mines and unexploded bombs in the second country most affected by this type of weapons following Afghanistan.
During his time on duty, Magawa cleared a surface of 225,000 square meters in Cambodia areas affected by the bombs and abandoned mines, which has helped the locals to regain their activities without fear of dying or being amputated.
The work of this giant African rat, born in Tanzania in 2013, was recognized in September 2020 by the organization PDSA (acronym for People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals), which rewards the animals for their bravery and devotion, by awarding them a gold medal.
Three million mines
This recognition made her the first rat to receive an award. so in the 77-year history of PDSA and share the glory with numerous dogs, some horses, pigeons and a cat.
Apopo trains the rats to detect the chemicals in explosives and ignore the scraps of metal left behind to find the unexploded ordnance much faster.
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Cambodia is the second most affected country by landmines in the world following Afghanistan, and it is believed that up to 6 million during armed conflicts that devastated the country between 1975 and 1998, of which 3 million have not yet been located.
Antipersonnel mines have caused around 64,000 victims in the country, which has the highest number of amputees by them per capita in the world: more than 40,000 people for a population of 16 million inhabitants.
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