Bomb-detecting rat wins medal for bravery
A rat got an award for bravery. The brave rodent is called Magawa. He got a gold medal for his seven years of sniffing out landmines in Cambodia. He was given the award by an animal charity. It explained why Magawa was recognised for his courage. It wrote: "[We] seek to honour the incredible contribution [animals] make to our lives. Magawa's dedication, skill and bravery are an extraordinary example of this and deserve the highest possible recognition." Rats are the creatures best suited to safely detect landmines. They are light and can smell well. In his seven years of work, Magawa found 39 landmines and 28 unexploded devices. He helped to clear an area the size of 20 soccer pitches. He is the most successful rat in the history of landmine detection. The charity said: "This is the very first time in our 77-year history of honouring animals that we have presented a medal to a rat." |