A heroic rat who left his tiny pawprints in the world of history is now retiring from service after being awarded for his undue efforts relating to landmine detection.
Magawa is looked upon as an African giant pouched rat who carried out countless life-saving work in Cambodia. For this reason, he was also awarded a gold medal for showing great courage and bravery- a prestigious award that used to be reserved for dogs.
Moreover, after serving till the age of 7, he is now all set for retirement and one that many refer to as much deserved.
In September of 2020, he received the PDSA gold medal for his relentless efforts and courage that assisted in saving so many lives. Local media outlets go about confirming how he helped officials in detecting around 71 landmines. But that’s not all.
Yes, officials revealed how the rat also assisted in saving so many human lives by keeping a watchful eye out for other unexploded items too. But at the age of 7, he has done more than many would probably expect any rat to do and hence it’s time for him to rest.
Many refer to the rat as an extraordinary being who lived an extraordinary life.point 179 | In the same way, his handler says that now he feels that the rat is showing evident signs of slowing down and that’s because he has reached his twilight years.point 315 |
Hence, ‘respecting his needs’ is also important, the handler added, and that’s why it’s time for retirement.point 116 | 1
Heroic creatures like Magawa undergo extensive forms of specialist training so that they are able to sniff out a special chemical that comes hidden in explosives. And once they receive that particular training, they become certified for that one-year period.
Once a rat approaches any explosive device or material, they know immediately that they need to scratch at the top so as to ring the alarm.
In his case, authorities claim that Magawa had the brilliant skills of searching for mines across a field as big as a tennis court, in less than 20 minutes. And that is what many say is an astonishing accomplishment for a rat.