Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has made history. He recently entered the Guinness Book of Records after detecting more than 100 landmines in Cambodia.

A Look at Ronin’s Work

Ronin has found 109 landmines and 15 unexploded bombs since 2021, according to the BBC. He works for Apopo, a Belgian non-profit that trains rats to detect explosives. So far, Apopo has trained 104 rats to do this dangerous but important job. They call them HeroRATS.

How Does Ronin Detect Landmines?

Like other HeroRATS, Ronin works inside a grid. He scratches the ground when he smells explosives. That signals his handler. Importantly, he is light enough that he doesn’t trigger the mines. In just 30 minutes, he can scan a whole tennis court-sized area. In contrast, humans would need four days to do the same job with metal detectors.

Then Comes Retirement

Once the rats grow older, Apopo retires them. They no longer work but continue to receive care. Ronin’s coworkers describe him as “hardworking, friendly and relaxed.”

Ronin Breaks a Record

Previously, a rat named Magawa held the landmine record. He found 71 landmines and won a gold medal in 2020. Magawa retired in 2021 and died in 2022. Now, Ronin has surpassed him and become Apopo’s top Mine Detection Rat. Many people admire Ronin’s skills. Lily Shalom, an Apopo spokesperson, said: “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.” His handler Phanny added, “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.” According to Apopo, “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.”

Cambodia Still Struggles

Cambodia remains one of the world’s most mined countries. Wars from the 1960s to 1990s left millions of unexploded weapons behind. As Landmine Monitor’s 2024 report explains, up to six million landmines may still be buried in the country. Since 1979, these explosives have caused 20,000 deaths and 45,000 injuries. Just this February, two toddlers died when a grenade exploded in Siem Reap province.

Goals Have Shifted

Cambodia aimed to clear all landmines by 2025. However, due to funding problems and new discoveries near the Thai border, officials pushed the goal to 2030. Christine Cox, CEO of Apopo, shared a hopeful message, “When we launched Apopo, the common view was that it would take around 500 years to clear all landmines from the Earth’s surface. 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.”