Cambodia has erected a statue to commemorate Magawa, the African giant pouched rat celebrated for his remarkable olfactory skills and life-saving work. The monument was unveiled in Siem Reap on April 3, 2026. Over five years of dedicated service as a HeroRAT, Magawa located over 100 landmines and unexploded ordnance, clearing more than 141,000 square meters of land. His training allowed him to ignore scrap metal and focus solely on the faint scents of explosives, resulting in landmine clearance that was both safer and quicker than conventional methods.
By erecting a sandstone statue of Magawa in Siem Reap, Cambodia is honouring both animal intelligence and the humanitarian effort to remove landmines from the landscape. The story of this little rodent is a testament to the innovative ways that non-technical approaches to demining have helped restore safe living conditions to communities reeling from conflict and war. This tribute immortalizes a legacy of courage, proving that even the smallest creatures can achieve monumental impacts on global safety.
