Ronin: The superhero rat who detected 100 landmines in Cambodia and saved lives

A landmine sniffing rat is making headlines around the world.

Ronin, an African giant pouched rat, has entered the Guinness Book of Records for detecting over 100 landmines in Cambodia.

Ronin beat the previous record set by the rodent Magawa.

Cambodia remains home to millions of unexploded landmines and munitions.

But what do we know about Ronin?

Let’s take a closer look:

Meet Ronin

As per BBC, Ronin has detected 109 landmines and 15 unexploded artillery since 2021.

Ronin is one of 104 rodents trained to sniff landmines by the Belgian non-profit Apopo.

The charity, which calls these rodents “HeroRATS,” has been training them for decades.

As per NDTV, Ronin is five years old.

Ronin and his brethren are taught to operate within a grid pattern.

They direct their handlers to landmines by clawing at the ground.

These rats usually work around half an hour per day.

According to BBC, the “HeroRATS” are taught how to detect chemicals in weapons such as landmines and other explosives.

They are too small to detonate the landmines.

The rats can clear an area the size of a tennis court in a half hour.

Humans, meanwhile, would take four days scour the same area using a metal detector.

The rats work till a certain age – after which they are moved into retirement and are taken care of by Apopo.

Ronin has been called “hardworking, friendly and relaxed” by his co-workers.

As per BBC, Ronin broke the record of Magawa – a rat who found 71 landmines and received a gold medal in 2020.

Magawa retired in 2021 and passed away in 2022.

Ronin is now the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in Apopo’s history.

‘Valued partner and colleague’

“Ronin’s success likely comes from his sharp focus, strong work ethic and love of problem-solving. His intelligence and natural curiosity help him stay engaged. Finding landmines is like a fun game to him and no two days are the same,” Apopo spokesperson Lily Shalom was quoted as saying.

“Ronin’s achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of rats. He’s not just an asset; he’s a valued partner and colleague,” his handler Phanny added.

“His exceptional accomplishments have earned him the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat, highlighting the critical role of HeroRats in humanitarian demining,” Apopo was quoted as saying by ABC.

Cambodia remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms from decades of war starting in the 1960s.

After more than 30 years of civil war ended in 1998, Cambodia remains as one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

CBS quoted Landmine Monitor’s 2024 report as saying there could be up to six million unexploded landmines in Cambodia.

Deaths from mines and unexploded ordnance are still common, with around 20,000 fatalities and 45,000 injuries since 1979.

Two Cambodian toddlers were killed in February when a rocket-propelled grenade believed buried since the country’s civil war blew up near their homes in north-western Siem Reap province.

Cambodia had aimed to be mine-free by 2025, but the government pushed the deadline back by five years because of funding challenges and new landmine fields found along the Thai border.

“When we launched Apopo, the common view was that it would take around 500 years to clear all landmines from the Earth’s surface,” Christine Cox, the CEO of the non-profit, was quoted as saying by CBS. “25 years later, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and if the international community fully supports the collaboration of all demining operators, we could clear the remaining minefields in our lifetime.”

With inputs from agencies