Preyam Vihear (Cambodia): Rats are usually considered a cause of trouble, but an African rat is in the news these days—that too by becoming a superhero. This rat named Ronin, posted in Preyam Vihear province of Cambodia, has made its place in the Guinness World Records. It not only created history by detecting 109 landmines and 15 other explosives, but also got the credit for saving countless lives. People on social media are calling it ‘Herorat’, and its story is surprising everyone.

Who is Ronin and how did he become a superhero?

Ronin is no ordinary rat. It is a five-year-old little warrior of the African Giant Pouched Rat species, who has been given special training by Apopo, a Belgian non-profit organization. Deployed in Cambodia since 2021, Ronin has used his amazing sniffing ability to detect 109 landmines and 15 unexploded explosives. Apopo calls it a “herorat”, and Ronin has surpassed his previous record holder, Magawa. Magawa had discovered 71 tunnels in his five-year career and was awarded a gold medal in 2020. Magawa retired in 2021 and died in 2022.

“Ronin is not just a rat, but our partner and colleague. His hard work and sniffing ability brought him to this position,” says Ronin’s handler Funny. According to Apopo, Ronin has been trained to work in a grid pattern and indicate tunnels by clawing the ground. It works for about 30 minutes every day and at its speed can scan an area the size of a tennis court in minutes—a task that can take a human up to four days with a metal detector. Landmine crisis in Cambodia

Cambodia’s land is still filled with the marks of war. The civil war that lasted from the 1960s to 1998 and the conflicts before that left the country littered with landmines. According to the Landmine Monitor’s 2024 report, four to six million explosives are still buried in the ground here. These have killed about 20,000 people and injured 45,000 since 1979. These dangers loom at every step in areas like Priyam Vihar, where people are forced to take risks for farming and everyday life.

Environment and defense expert Dr. Arun Sharma says, “Landmines in Cambodia are not just a security issue, but also a socio-economic crisis. Efforts like Ronin are a cheap and effective solution to this complex problem.”

How do these ‘Herorats’ work?

For the past 25 years, Apopo has been training African rats to detect landmines and diseases such as tuberculosis. These rats are trained to sniff out the chemicals present in explosives. They are so light that they do not explode when they walk on the tunnels. Once they find an explosive, they scratch the ground to give a signal, after which the demining teams take over the work. Apopo CEO Christine Cox says, “When we started, people used to say that it would take 500 years to remove all the tunnels from the earth. But now we see hope.” Ronin’s future and its legacy At the age of five, Ronin is at the peak of his career. Apopo says that it can work for at least two more years. But when it gets tired or shows the effects of age, it will be retired. After retirement, these rats live a comfortable life in Apopo’s special colony, where they are taken complete care of. Ronin’s nature is said to be calm and hardworking, which makes it more special.

Som Rith, a local fisherman from Cambodia, says, “For us, Ronin is no less than an angel. It has made our farms safe, where we were afraid earlier.” This bravery of Ronin not only got his name registered in the record book, but also showed that even a small creature can have great power.

The big story of a rat

This achievement of Ronin is not just a record, but a ray of hope. It tells us how technology and nature can work wonders together. In countries like Cambodia where there is danger at every step, little heroes like Ronin are ushering in a new dawn. So the next time you hear the name of a rat, maybe this story of Ronin will make you smile.

(The author is a freelance journalist. This article is based on facts and local experiences.)