The rat that … saves hundreds of lives
Ronin belongs to the kind of rats, but for some he is a hero and this thanks to his accomplishments that have nothing to do with those of other representatives of his kind.
And this is proven by the fact that Ronin has recently set a new world record, and became the first rodent to discover more than 100 mines and other dangerous war residues in Cambodia.
According to the NGO Apopo, which owns Ronin, the African rat has discovered 109 mines and 15 objects of independent explosives since 2021.
The rat that… saves hundreds of lives
Cambodia remains full of millions of stray explosives, a result of about 20 years of civil war that ended in 1998.
Meet #RoninApopo’s Record-Breaking Rat. He Holds a Guinness World Record Title for the Most Landmines Detected by a Rat. Support Ronin’s Mission.
Adopt a Herrat: https://t.co/ch9ljxwaq7#MineaWarenessday #Worldratday #Savinglives #GuinnessworldRecord #Apopo pic.twitter.com/b1ubcolt2j
– Apopo (@Herorats) April 4, 2025
The Guinness Record book said Ronin’s work is « crucial » to people living with « fear that a wrong step in their daily lives could be their last ».
Apopo, based in Tanzania, currently has 104 rodents-volunteers, or « Herrats », as the non-profit organization calls them.
The advantages of a rat – researcher
Rats are trained to detect chemicals in mines and other weapons abandoned in the battlefields. Due to the small size and weight respectively, the rats are unable to trigger the mines.
They can control a tennis court area in about 30 minutes, while a man with metal detector may take four days to control the same area, according to the organization.
One of Apopo’s rodents – volunteers.
In addition, rats can detect tuberculosis, an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, much faster than it could be done in a laboratory, Apopo reports.
Ronin’s impressive work in Cambodia’s northern Preah Vihear province surpassed the previous record held by Magaua, a rat that had detected 71 mines and was awarded a gold medal for his heroism in 2020.
Since the beginning of Apopo’s activity, 25 years ago, the organization has removed 169,713 mines and other explosives worldwide, with more than 52,000 of them found in Cambodia.
The charity is also working in other countries affected by wars, such as Ukraine, South Sudan and Azerbaijan.
According to Landmine Monitor, it is estimated that there are still 4 to 6 million mines and other explosive residues buried in Cambodia.
With information from BBC
