From 1975 to 1979, the Communist Khmer Rouge brutally ruled Cambodia, killing up to two million people. The army buried millions of landmines throughout the country, some six million of which are said to still lie in wait for innocent farmers walking their fields. He was then transferred to Siem Reap, Cambodia to begin his career. Magawa was trained to alert his humans about the mines’ existence, and did his job so well he sniffed out more than 100 of them, allowing them to be safely removed. Although he weighed a hefty 1.2 kilograms and was 70 cm long, much larger than most rat species, he was light enough not to trigger a mine if he happened to walk on one.

Source: National Post January 12, 2022 10:39 UTC