A HERO’S TAIL

Hero Rat Who Sniffed Out 100 Landmines Dies Peacefully at Age 8

Magawa the rat spent five years in Cambodia clearing more than 1,500,000 sq ft of land.

A rat whose gallantry was rewarded after he sniffed out 100 landmines during his heroic career has died peacefully at the age of 8. Magawa was one of the most successful mine-sniffing rats of his age. After a year of training in Tanzania, he spent five years using his skills in Cambodia, where he managed to clear more than 1,500,000 sq ft of land. Toward the end of his career, in 2020, Magawa became the first rat ever to be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in recognition of his “life-saving devotion to duty.” The Belgian charity that trained him, Apopo, said in a statement that Magawa “passed away peacefully” over the weekend. The charity said he “spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm... [but] he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days.” It added: “All of us at Apopo are feeling the loss of Magawa and we are grateful for the incredible work he’s done... A hero is laid to rest.”