PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A mine-sniffing rat has earned a Guinness World Records title for sniffing more than 100 landmines and items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Cambodia, charity APOPO said in a news release on Friday.
Ronin, an African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei), has achieved the distinction of being the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in the organization's history, the news release said.
"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," it said.
Since his deployment to Preah Vihear province in northwest Cambodia in August 2021, Ronin has detected an impressive 109 landmines and 15 items of UXO, surpassing the previous record held by the legendary HeroRAT Magawa, who identified 71 landmines and 38 pieces of UXO during his five-year service, it added.
Magawa, who won a gold medal for his mine-detection work in Cambodia, died at the age of eight in 2022.
Ronin's work is far from finished, the news release said, adding that at just five years old, he may have two years or more of detection work ahead of him, continuing to build on his already record-breaking total.
Cambodia is one of countries worst affected by landmines and UXO. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions had been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.
An official report showed that from 1979 to 2024, landmine and UXO explosions had claimed 19,834 lives and maimed 45,252 others.
The Southeast Asian country is committed to getting rid of all types of landmines and UXO by 2030.
