From Global News.

In a symbolic gesture of gratitude for his service, Cambodia celebrated Magawa, a landmine-sniffing rat, with the unveiling of a monument bearing his resemblance on Friday to mark International Day for Mine Awareness.

The southern giant pouched rat, born in Tanzania and trained by Belgian non-profit organization APOPO, detected over 100 landmines and items of unexploded ordnance during his career, helping clear more than 141,000 square metres of land. He was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for animal bravery and died in 2022 at the age of eight, following retirement.

Carved from local stone by Cambodian artisans, the statue in Siem Reap depicts Magawa wearing his medal and the harness he used during demining operations.

Cambodia remains one of the world’s most heavily landmine-contaminated countries, with millions of mines left from decades of conflict that continue to kill and injure people and constrain economic development.

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