Cambodia unveils statue of famous landmine‑sniffing rat Magawa

Statue unveiled to honour an unlikely hero

Cambodia has unveiled a statue honouring Magawa, the giant African pouched rat famed for sniffing out landmines. The bronze likeness was revealed at a small ceremony that celebrated the rodent’s role in making former battlefields safer. It has been reported that local demining staff and representatives of the training charity APOPO attended the event to pay their respects.

Magawa wasn’t your average pet. Trained to detect explosives by scent, he worked in mine‑affected areas and — it has been reported that — located dozens of landmines and other unexploded ordnance, allowing teams to clear dangerous ground more quickly and at lower cost than some mechanical methods. He was even awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in 2020, a decoration sometimes called the animals’ Victoria Cross.

A small animal, a big legacy

There’s an emotional core to the story: a tiny animal saved human lives and became a public symbol of hope. Cambodia still wrestles with the legacy of decades of conflict; initiatives like APOPO’s sniffing rats are practical and potent reminders that solutions can come from unexpected places. Who would have thought a rat could be both celebrity and first responder?

Magawa’s statue is more than a novelty. It’s a nod to innovation in demining and a memorial to the risks communities still face. Expect the image to stick — a small nose, a big difference — and to be used in fundraising and awareness campaigns as NGOs keep trying to clear every last blast zone.

Sources: bbc.com, Hacker News