African giant, Magawa, bags gold medal in Cambodia

An African giant pouched rat named Magawa has been awarded a mini gold medal for animal bravery, after using its big nose to sniff out dozens of treacherous landmines in Cambodia.

The clever rodent received the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal on Friday, September 25. The medal is the animal equivalent to the George Cross – the joint highest award in the United Kingdom honours system.

The hero rat has sniffed out 39 unexploded land mines and 28 munitions over the last four years. Magawa’s work is thought to have saved many lives in Cambodia, where decades of conflict have left the country littered with forgotten explosives that can kill or maim a person without warning.