Reports from Tanzania say Magawa, the “hero giant rat” who died at the age of eight in Cambodia recently, has a successor who is just as hardworking and focused.
Magawa was trained by Apopo and is credited for finding more than 100 landmines and other explosives during his service. This life-saving bravery won him a medal.
Apopo is a mine-clearing non-governmental organisation working in partnership with the Sokoine University of Agriculture.
Quoting Apopo assistant communications officer Lilian Shalom, The Citizen in Tanzania reports that Magawa had found a successor shortly after retirement in June 2021.
She said Magawa was succeeded by a three-year-old pouched rat Ronin who was dispatched to Cambodia early last year.
“The successor is hardworking and focused who cannot be distracted by anything,” she said during a telephone interview with The Citizen.
Ronin was sent to Cambodia after receiving internal accreditation and was internationally certified after confirming the 100 percent accuracy.
Shalom told The Citizen there were 40 Tanzania pouched rats in Cambodia who are working in landmines detection including Ronin.
