The Great Assets
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing

The Great Assets

World News

Super Rat: the record-setting rodent sniffing out landmines and saving lives

by admin April 7, 2025
April 7, 2025
Super Rat: the record-setting rodent sniffing out landmines and saving lives

Rats don’t always have the best reputations, but one named Ronin with a super sense of smell is working to change that.

Ronin and his landmine-sniffing rat pack are making a name for rodents everywhere by saving innocent civilians from hidden explosives.

The African giant pouched rat recently set a new world record for the most landmines detected by a rat. Between August 2021 and February 2025, Ronin uncovered 109 landmines and 15 other pieces of unexploded ordnance in a region close to Siem Reap in Cambodia, according to Guinness World Records.

“Ronin’s achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of rats,” his main handler Phanny told the Guinness publication.

Landmines are a major issue in former conflict zones. The explosive weapons, hidden in the ground, are designed to injure or kill anyone who passes over them. In Cambodia alone, they have caused more than 65,000 deaths and injuries since the fall of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.

Their use is controversial because of their indiscriminate nature and the threat they pose for decades after a conflict has ended, killing and maiming and hampering land development in war-ravaged areas.

They are also notoriously difficult and dangerous to detect. That’s where rats come in; their high intelligence, speed and keen sense of smell make them adept at identifying explosives. They are also too light to trigger landmines.

It’s crucial work. An estimated 110 million landmines are still buried in over 60 countries around the world, said landmine detection nonprofit APOPO. In 2023, landmines caused 5,757 casualties globally — 37% of which involved children, according to the 2024 Landmine Monitor.

Ronin is one of more than 100 rats trained by APOPO to detect the scent of the explosive chemicals and point landmines out to their handlers.

The rats are highly versatile and have also been trained to detect tuberculosis in medical settings, helping to prevent the spread of infectious disease.

The Belgian nonprofit’s team of landmine-sniffing rats can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes – something that could take a deminer with a metal detector up to four days.

Ronin, who is 5 years old and was born in Tanzania, is much larger than your average pet rat. He is more than 2 feet long – about the length of a cat – and weighs 2.6 pounds, according to APOPO.

Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, where Ronin was deployed has one of the highest landmine densities in the world following decades of conflict in the 20th century, including heavy bombing by the US during the Vietnam War.

The US dropped 2.7 million tons of ordnance – including cluster bombs and submunitions – in a four-year carpet-bombing campaign in Cambodia. Up to a quarter of the cluster bombs failed to explode, meaning they stayed active and dangerous but out of sight, according to a 2019 report by the US Congressional Research Service.

Despite years of demining efforts, there are still an estimated 4 to 6 million unexploded landmines in Cambodia, according to APOPO.

Ronin claims the world record from Magawa, another rat trained by APOPO who identified 71 landmines and 38 pieces of unexploded ordnance during his five-years of service. Magawa passed peacefully in January 2022.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Musk says he hopes for ‘zero tariffs,’ freedom of trade zone between US and Europe
next post
Palestinian American teen killed by Israeli soldiers in West Bank, official says

Related Posts

Aga Khan, the leader of Ismaili Muslims, laid...

February 10, 2025

Sudan army close to reclaiming Presidential Palace from...

March 21, 2025

Man hailed as world’s first imam to say...

February 18, 2025

Ukraine ‘may be Russian someday,’ Trump says ahead...

February 11, 2025

Deadly Israeli strikes mar Gaza Eid celebrations as...

March 31, 2025

Slovakia approves cull of 350 bears after latest...

April 4, 2025

US citizen shot dead after hijacking small plane...

April 18, 2025

Chinese student found guilty in British court of...

March 6, 2025

Iceland’s minister for children resigns overrelationship with teen...

March 23, 2025

Syria clashes have killed more than 300 people...

March 9, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Editors’ Picks

    • 1

      Top 11 Countries by Rare Earth Metal Production

      February 27, 2025
    • 2

      Capital One outage drags into Friday afternoon, leaving some customers without deposit access

      January 23, 2025
    • 3

      Altech Batteries LtdCERENERGY Accredited Highest Possible Green Rating

      January 24, 2025
    • 4

      Altech – CERENERGY Accredited Highest Possible Green Rating

      January 24, 2025
    • 5

      Bank of America CEO says financial industry will jump into crypto payments if regulators allow it

      January 23, 2025
    • 6

      Netflix shares soar as company reports surging revenue, tops 300 million subscribers

      January 23, 2025
    • 7

      Strategic Alliance with Macmahon to Accelerate Redevelopment of Nifty

      January 23, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: thegreatassets.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 thegreatassets.com | All Rights Reserved