World Record Holder: Rat Ronin Sniffed Out Over a Hundred Mines in Cambodia

(Patria) - A rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out over 100 landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Ronin, an African giant pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly remnants of war since being deployed in the northern Preah Vihear province in August 2021, the Belgian charity APOPO announced.

Five-year-old Ronin has been declared the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in the organization's history.

"His exceptional achievements have earned him the title of Guinness World Record holder for the most mines detected by a rat, highlighting the crucial role of hero rats in humanitarian mine clearance," APOPO stated.

Ronin thus dethroned the previous record holder, the rodent Magawa, who found 71 landmines and 38 other unexploded ordnance during his five-year service before being "retired" in 2021.

Magawa, who was awarded a gold medal for bravery for clearing mines from approximately 225,000 square meters of territory, equivalent to the area of 42 football fields, died in 2022.

Ronin could have another two years, if not more, of detection work ahead of him, APOPO estimates.

"He is not just a tool, he is a valued partner and colleague," said Ronin's handler Phanny.

Cambodia remains littered with mines and unexploded ordnance more than 30 years after the end of a civil war in 1998, which made the country one of the most heavily mined in the world.

Deaths from mines and unexploded ordnance remain common, with around 20,000 fatalities since 1979 and twice as many injured.

Two Cambodian children died in February when a rocket-propelled grenade, believed to have been in the ground since the civil war, exploded near their homes in the northwestern province of Siem Reap.

Authorities have been working to make the country mine-free by 2025, but the deadline has been pushed back by five years due to funding difficulties and new minefields discovered along the border with Thailand.