By 
Anna Pelizzari
Emily Wade, April 9, 2025
Ronin, a landmine-detecting rat, has made history in Cambodia by uncovering over 100 landmines and other deadly war explosives. His work is contributing to demining Cambodia of these life-threatening devices and making a difference in the life of the affected vulnerable populations.
Ronin has made history in Cambodia as the first rodent to detect over 100 landmines and other deadly war explosives. Trained by the Tanzanian non-profit Apopo, which specialises in preparing these “HeroRATS” for mine detection, Ronin is part of a team of 104 rats taught to sniff explosive chemicals. Due to their light weight, the rats can navigate minefields without triggering the explosives. They are remarkably efficient and able to clear an area the size of a tennis court in just 30 minutes, a task that would take a human with a metal detector up to four days.
Cambodia is still heavily affected by millions of unexploded landmines left behind after around two decades of civil war. Since Apopo began its operations 25 years ago, the organisation has cleared 169,713 landmines and other explosive devices globally, and over 52,000 were in Cambodia alone. Between 1979 and August 2022, nearly 20,000 people lost their lives due to landmine explosions. The widespread presence of these devices has made Cambodia one of the countries with the highest number of amputees, with many victims being children who were playing or searching for scrap metal in affected areas.
Despite this victory, demining efforts are still ongoing, as there are still an estimated four to six million explosives buried in Cambodia. The ultimate goal of the Cambodian government is to make the country mine-free by 2025. The Guinness Book of World Records stated that Ronin’s “crucial work” is making a real difference to people who have had to live with the “fear that one misstep while going about their day-to-day lives could be their last.”
Sources and Further Readings:
Ronin the rat sets new landmine-sniffing record
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