Magawa, an African Giant Pouched Rat, recently became the first rodent to receive the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal — one of the highest-ranking animal awards — for his life-saving work detecting landmines in Cambodia over the last five years.
In the 1970s, an estimated 4 to 6 million mines riddled Cambodia, and about 3 million are still unfound. The hidden explosives have tragically caused an estimated 64,000 casualties over the years, according to PDSA.
Equipped with a superior sense of smell, rats are far more efficient than people at finding these mines, and it’s safer for rats to perform this seemingly dangerous task because their lightweight bodies don’t trigger the explosives.
Magawa spends just half an hour covering a tennis court-sized area, which would take human searchers about four days. He was trained by non-profit APOPO, which is dedicated to training rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis. When Magawa sniffs out landmine chemicals, he signals a handler, and a team safely disposes of the weapon.
To date, this hero has found 39 landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordnance. He will continue his work until he reaches retirement age. Then, he’ll spend the rest of his life playing and relaxing.
Magawa’s story reminds us how incredible animals disregarded as pests and burdens truly are.
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Thank you Rat when humans need you they use you for this, the mines should never been there in the first place whats wrong
with humans fighting all the time only animals deserve to be on this planet.
hope you have a happy life Rat and they dont use you for testing look after the rat.
And please stop using animals for our bad things we do in life.
Animal lives Matter
love from uk
Congratulations Magawa!
Blessings to all those who care for them and look after them,.appreciate their hard work ånd reward them. Animals cannot talk but their countless blessings are always there.
Blessings to all those who care for them and look after them,.appreciate their hard work ånd reward them. Animals cannot talk but their countless blessings are always there.
Wonderful! This video made my day! I adore animals, no matter what the species, their love and devotion to humans, is a privelege for us all.
What a wonderful story about an incredible life saving animal. Who would’ve thought a rat could save so many lives and be such a godsend! Thank you APOPO and PDSA.
Animals do not need medals. They need to be treated humanely, they need kindness and compassion; they need to be respected as sentient beings who want to live in peace and be happy, just like we humans do.
Love PDSA and congrats to Magawa! This is quite an honor!
Cute little thing!
What a mighty rat Magawa is 🐀.
The African Giant Pouched Rat (AKA the Gambian Pouched Rat) has been doing this job for decades now, with very little recognition. It’s about time. These little guys, HIGHLY intelligent, have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and limbs! The are light enough that they do not set the mines off should they step on them, so they are invaluable. About time they are recognized for the wonderful work they are doing!
The African Giant Pouched Rat (AKA the Gambian Pouched Rat) has been doing this job for decades now, with very little recognition. It’s about time. These little guys, HIGHLY intelligent, have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and limbs! The are light enough that they do not set the mines off should they step on them, so they are invaluable. About time they are recognized for the wonderful work they are doing!
Thank you little one!💜
Magawa is certainly a hero – small but mighty!
And really, really cute, too <3
Fabulous use of an intelligent animal. A real life life saver. Yay.
What a cutie! Even the little one can save lives. Animals are so amazing.
Yes they are; wild animals do not kill people, they might only when they are threatened or provoked, when they are trying to defend themselves. All domesticated animals can be pets, they are loyal and they are appreciative of any expression of kindness; for all that they suffer so much in the hands of sub-human evil monsters. On the other hand only people kill people – from the dawn of humanity humans were/are trying to exterminate each other. Please understand that there is the undeniable link between animal cruelty and violence against people. Please get involved and support reputable animal protection/rights organizations, speak out against animal cruelty. Please do not forget that farm animals are sentient beings too. They suffer immensely in factory farms and the high-speed slaughterhouses because of “people’s” insatiable appetite for meat and other animal products which cause painful inflammations in human body (such as arthritis) and diseases (such as diabetes, heart diseases/clogged arteries, various forms of cancer and other illnesses). Animal agriculture is a major contributor to our planet’s most significant threats, greater than industrial and car pollution combined. Thank you for your understanding and universal compassion..
“As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will NEVER know HEALTH or PEACE. For as long as men massacre animals they WILL kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain CANNOT reap joy and love.” – Pythagoras (570 – 480 BC/BCE) Greek mathematician & philosopher
What a cutie! Even the little one can save lives. Animals are so amazing.
this is a wonderful story
thank you
This is so awesome people always think RATS are dumb and disease carrying varmints, which might be true. They are smart, loyal and make great pets.