In Cambodia, giant pouched rats sniff out land mines

Rats tend to have a bad reputation worldwide, but in Cambodia a team of these rodents are proving indispensable for their friendliness, high intelligence and — above all — their keen sense of smell. Mine clearance specialists from the humanitarian mine clearance organization APOPO are training African giant pouched rats to detect land mines and unexploded ordnance.

This detection team is taking their four-legged helpers to a minefield in Siem Reap province. Measuring up to 45 centimeters (17.7 inches) in length and weighing up to 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), these rodents are integral to mine-clearing efforts. "While working with these rats, I have always found mines and they have never skipped a single one," Mott Sreymom, a rat handler at APOPO, told AP.

These friendly rats not only have a keen sense of smell, they're also very industrious, searching an area the size of a tennis court in just 30 minutes. An overhead leash guides them line by line down a demarcated field. When they smell an explosive, they stop and scratch to show where. According to APOPO, over 300 trained rats are currently deployed in mine clearance operations worldwide.

After three decades of military conflict in Cambodia, authorities estimated in 2004 that approximately 4,500 square kilometers (17,375 square miles) of the country were contaminated with life-threatening remnants of war. All 25 provinces of the country were initially affected, but as of last year, authorities have declared over half of the area free of mines.

Antipersonnel land mines have such devastating effects that their use has been banned since 1997. But not all countries are signatories to the treaty. Since 1979, mines have led to some 20,000 fatalities and twice as many injuries. As recently as January, a farmer was killed by an anti-tank mine in the northeastern province of Battambang, according to the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC).

Ronin become famous in February 2025 when he snatched the Guinness World Record for most land mines detected by a rat. With 109 to his name, he easily beat the previous title holder Magawa, whose tally had been 71 mines throughout his career. Sniffing out mines is a tough job, so most rats don't work longer than 30 minutes a day. But they're still far more efficient than their human counterparts.

There's still much work to be done for the little lifesavers in Cambodia. Over 1,600 square kilometers of contaminated land remain to be cleared, and the remnants of war still endanger the lives of some 1 million people living nearby. Cambodia was supposed to be mine-free by 2025, but authorities have said this goal will not be achieved until 2030 at the earliest.