Recently whilst in Cambodia, I heard about the Hero Rats of Cambodia.
I was intrigued. What, or who are they?
After the Vietnam War and the cruel rule of Pol Pot, which started in 1976 and ended in 1979, with the death of 2 million Cambodians, Cambodia was left with more than 2 million land mines spread throughout the countryside.
These hero rats are rodents with a knack for sniffing out danger. Yes, you read that right – rats! However, these aren't your everyday sewer-dwellers; they're the extraordinary African Giant Pouched Rats, affectionately dubbed "Hero Rats".
Their mission? To tackle the pervasive threat of landmines that have long haunted Cambodia. They are remnants of past conflicts that continue to pose a deadly menace to communities.
Alvy, the Hero Rat, is at work in a demonstration of their speed.
In a country marked by its tragic history of conflict, Cambodia stands as one of the most heavily landmine-contaminated regions globally. Yet, amidst the remnants of war, hope emerges in the form of APOPO, a Belgian non-profit organization pioneering a groundbreaking approach to landmine detection – employing highly trained rats.
Why rats, you might wonder? These remarkable creatures possess an intelligence that rivals that of many domesticated animals, coupled with a physique so light that it doesn't trigger the mines.
Leveraging their keen sense of smell, these Hero Rats traverse minefields at an astonishing pace, covering ground far more efficiently than traditional human methods allow.
Picture this: while it might take a human up to four painstaking days to scour a 200 square meter area with metal detectors, a Hero Rat can complete the task in under 20 minutes!
A display of neutralised items free from explosives.
Once fully trained, these Hero Rats are then deployed to Cambodia, where they embark on their life-saving mission. With meticulous precision, they comb through the terrain, alerting their handlers to the presence of landmines by scratching at the surface – a gesture that signals both danger and salvation.
If you are travelling to Cambodia on a Mekong River Cruise, or on a tour of Cambodia, I highly recommend you allow a few hours in Siem Reap to visit the Hero Rats.
You will be as fascinated as I was.
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