Cambodian Rat Ronin Sets World Record for Sniffing Out Landmines
In a remarkable feat of animal-assisted demining, a rat named Ronin has earned a Guinness World Record for sniffing out the most landmines in Cambodia. Trained by the Belgian organization APOPO, Ronin successfully detected 53 landmines in a single day, setting a new benchmark in the field of humanitarian demining.
Ronin's achievement not only highlights the potential of using animals in dangerous demining operations but also sheds light on the ongoing issue of landmine contamination in Cambodia. The country, still recovering from decades of conflict, faces the challenge of clearing vast areas of land to ensure the safety of its citizens and to reclaim land for agricultural and developmental purposes.
The use of rats like Ronin, known for their keen sense of smell and agility, has proven to be an effective and safe method for detecting explosives. APOPO's HeroRATs program has been instrumental in training these animals, which can cover large areas quickly and accurately, reducing the risk to human deminers.