Magawa, the 'hero rat' who sniffed out land mines, dies

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(CNN) -

Magawa, the "hero rat" whose work sniffing out landmines in Cambodia earned him a medal for his bravery in saving lives, has died at the age of eight.

The African giant rat found more than 100 landmines and other explosives during its service, according to APOPO, the nongovernmental demining organization that trained it.

His work earned him a gold medal from the British veterinary charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals in 2020.

In announcing the news on Tuesday, APOPO said: "It is with great regret that we share the sad news that HeroRAT Magawa passed away peacefully this weekend. Magawa was in good health and spent most of the past week playing with his usual enthusiasm. , but towards the weekend he began to slow down, taking more naps and showing less interest in food in his final days. Magawa had recently celebrated his birthday in November, reaching the age of 8. "

The tribute said that Magawa left a "lasting legacy in the lives he saved," adding: "All of us at APOPO are sorry for the loss of Magawa and are grateful for the incredible work he did."

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Magawa, who retired last year, is APOPO's most successful "hero rat" to date, the organization said.

"Your contribution enables Cambodian communities to live, work and play, without fear of losing their life or limb," added APOPO.

African giant rats are smart and easy to train - Magawa started training from a young age.

He was born in November 2013 at the Sokoine Agricultural University in Tanzania, where he learned to find explosives using his incredible sense of smell, APOPO said.

Three years later he moved to Siem Reap in Cambodia, where he began his career.

APOPO trains rats to detect the odor of explosive chemicals used in landmines and signals them to their handlers.

Magawa's work helped the organization clear more than 225,000 square meters of land in Cambodia, where decades of conflict have left the landscape littered with dangerous unexploded ordnance.

CNN's Rob Picheta contributed reporting.