African giant pouched rat Ronin has set a new world record by uncovering more than 100 mines and deadly war remnants in Cambodia. Since 2021, Ronin has sniffed out 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance, surpassing the previous record held by Magawa, who cleared 71 mines.
Cambodia remains contaminated with millions of unexploded munitions from a 20-year civil war that ended in 1998. Ronin’s work is crucial in helping people overcome the fear of landmines and other explosives while going about their daily lives.
Trained by charity Apopo, which has 104 HeroRATs, Ronin uses its keen sense of smell to detect chemicals found in landmines and other weapons. This allows it to clear an area the size of a tennis court in just 30 minutes, faster than a human with a metal detector.
Apopo’s work also includes detecting tuberculosis at a faster rate than conventional lab tests. The charity has cleared over 169,713 landmines worldwide since its inception 25 years ago, including more than 52,000 in Cambodia.
However, the issue persists: an estimated four to six million landmines and other explosives remain buried in Cambodia, according to the Landmine Monitor.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2ewxjjw842o