Rare Tribute To The Rat Honored With The Gold Medal In Recognition Of Landmines
A rat has done something that even humans cannot do and gained rare recognition. The British Veterinary Charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has awarded the Gold Medal for the discovery of several landmines and explosives in Cambodia. So far this gold medal has been awarded to only 30 animals. However, the first rat to win this medal was 'Magawa'. Some landmines and explosives have been found in Southeast Asia for decades. These are skinning a lot of people.
The rat was released by the government to identify landmines. The rat set a record in its career by pulling out 39 landmines and 28 unexploded ordnance objects. The rat sheds light on the problems faced by residents of Cambodia and other areas affected by landmines. The rat was trained by a charity called APOPO to identify landmines for males. It is a Belgian-registered charity based in Tanzania that has been raising various rats since the 1990s. Training for a year to identify landmines and make them into 'Hero Rots'. According to the company, the rat took just 30 minutes to inspect the bomb in an area equivalent to 20 football fields (141,000 square meters). Well, it takes humans almost four days to find a bomb in the ground. This is the first time in the 77 - year history of the PDSA that a rat has won such an award.
Because of decades of wars!
Landmines and war explosive debris are causing severe damage to the Cambodian people. The Cambodian Mine Victim Information Service reports that 19,684 people have died since 1979. Cambodia is still mired in landmines due to decades of war, including the 1970 Khmer Rouge 'Killing Fields' genocide. Rats are not endangered by landmines, so the government uses rats to extract them.
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