Cambodia Commemorates Lifesaving Rat with Statue in Siem Reap

Sun Apr 05 2026 20:36:48 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The unveiling of a statue dedicated to Magawa, a famous landmine-detecting rat, highlights ongoing challenges in mine clearance in Cambodia, as over a million people remain at risk from landmines.

In a poignant ceremony in Siem Reap, Cambodia unveiled a statue honoring Magawa, an African giant pouched rat renowned for his heroic efforts in detecting landmines. Trained by the Belgian charity Apopo, Magawa's remarkable career spanned five years, during which he helped clear significant land for public safety. His legacy serves as a reminder of the ongoing mine risks in Cambodia as the nation strives to become mine-free by 2030.

A famous mine-clearing rat, who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has been commemorated with the world's first statue dedicated to a landmine-detecting rat. Magawa, who lived to eight years old, sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia during his five-year career that started in 2016.

A statue of the rodent carved from local stone by artists was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Friday, in time for the International Day for Mine Awareness on 4 April. Landmines remain an ongoing risk to Cambodia, with more than a million people continuing to live and work on contaminated land, according to the United Nations.

Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, was trained by the Belgian charity Apopo before starting his bomb-sniffing career in Cambodia in 2016. Using his acute sense of smell and training to detect a chemical compound within explosives, he would alert human handlers to mines that could then be safely removed.

During his time, Magawa helped clear more than 141,000 square metres (1,517,711 sq ft) of land - the equivalent of 20 football pitches – and could search a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes. In 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, known as the George Cross for animals, for his life-saving devotion to duty. He was the first rat to receive this medal in the charity's 77-year history.

Following a short retirement due to old age and "slowing down," Magawa passed away in 2022. Apopo's Cambodia Programme Manager, Michael Raine, said on Friday that the monument for Magawa serves as a reminder to the international community that there's still much work to be done in mine clearance efforts.

Cambodia now targets 2030 as its date to become mine-free. The charity has been training its rodents, known as HeroRATS, since the 1990s, utilizing their small size to safely detect mines without the risk of detonation.