Ronin's remarkable achievement was announced by the charity Apopo, which trains these heroic rodents. The rat has discovered a staggering 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance since 2021. This groundbreaking work is essential in Cambodia, a country still affected by millions of hidden explosives left behind after two decades of civil conflict that concluded in 1998.
The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Ronin’s vital contributions, noting that his efforts help alleviate the constant anxiety faced by locals living in fear of deadly missteps during their daily routines. Apopo, which operates out of Tanzania, has a team of 104 HeroRATS, specifically trained to sniff out chemicals associated with landmines and other explosives.
The size of these rats allows them to navigate dangerous areas without triggering any devices due to their light weight. Remarkably, a rat can scan an area the size of a tennis court in roughly 30 minutes, a task that would take a human with metal detection equipment approximately four days to accomplish. Additionally, these agile critters are also trained to detect tuberculosis, demonstrating their multifaceted capabilities.
Ronin has outperformed Magawa, a previous record-holding rat recognized for uncovering 71 mines and celebrated for his heroic service with a gold medal in 2020. Over the past 25 years, Apopo has cleared 169,713 landmines globally, with more than 52,000 cleared in Cambodia alone. Their ongoing efforts extend to numerous war-torn nations, such as Ukraine, South Sudan, and Azerbaijan.
Despite these significant accomplishments, there are still an estimated four to six million landmines and munitions buried in Cambodia, highlighting the continuing need for demining efforts and ensuring the safety of communities moving forward.
The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Ronin’s vital contributions, noting that his efforts help alleviate the constant anxiety faced by locals living in fear of deadly missteps during their daily routines. Apopo, which operates out of Tanzania, has a team of 104 HeroRATS, specifically trained to sniff out chemicals associated with landmines and other explosives.
The size of these rats allows them to navigate dangerous areas without triggering any devices due to their light weight. Remarkably, a rat can scan an area the size of a tennis court in roughly 30 minutes, a task that would take a human with metal detection equipment approximately four days to accomplish. Additionally, these agile critters are also trained to detect tuberculosis, demonstrating their multifaceted capabilities.
Ronin has outperformed Magawa, a previous record-holding rat recognized for uncovering 71 mines and celebrated for his heroic service with a gold medal in 2020. Over the past 25 years, Apopo has cleared 169,713 landmines globally, with more than 52,000 cleared in Cambodia alone. Their ongoing efforts extend to numerous war-torn nations, such as Ukraine, South Sudan, and Azerbaijan.
Despite these significant accomplishments, there are still an estimated four to six million landmines and munitions buried in Cambodia, highlighting the continuing need for demining efforts and ensuring the safety of communities moving forward.
