A rat in Cambodia has been honoured with a world record after detecting more than 100 landmines and other undetonated explosives in the country, Belgium’s non-profit APOPO announced on Friday.
APOPO named Ronin, the rat, the most successful Mine Detection Rat and went on to be acknowledged by the Guinness World Records.
Ronin has detected 109 landmines and 15 unexploded ordnance items since August 2021, according to CBS News.
APOPO says that the record breaking rat is expected to work for two years or more in the field of detection.
“Ronin’s achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of positive reinforcement training. He’s not just an asset; he’s a valued partner and colleague,” said Ronin’s handler, Phanny, in a news release from APOPO.
Ronin has broken African giant pouched rat Magawa’s record who detected 71 landmines and 38 pieces of unexploded ordnance over the course of five years. He retired in 2021 and the next year passed away.
The non-profit organisation has been training mine-detecting rats for over 25 years. Ronin underwent clicker training, where the rat learns to associate the sound of a click with a treat which then motivates them to learn how to smell explosives.
Ronin and other rats like him work 30 minutes a day and when they have served enough and reach a certain age, they are relocated to a retirement community and remain under APOPO’s care.
“When we launched APOPO, the common view was that it would take around 500 years to clear all landmines from the Earth’s surface,” said Christine Cox, the CEO of APOPO. “25 years later, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and if the international community fully supports the collaboration of all demining operators, we could clear the remaining minefields in our lifetime.”
