rat has been given distinguished award for bravery for his services to humanity. valiant rodent is called Magawa. He was awarded gold medal for his seven years of duty sniffing out dozens of landmines in Cambodia. He was bestowed award by People's Dispensary for Sick Animals charity. This is veterinary charity based in the United Kingdom. The charity explained why Magawa was recognised for his courage. It wrote: "The PDSA...seeks to raise status of animals in society and honour incredible contribution they make to our lives. Magawa's dedication, skill and bravery are extraordinary example of this and deserve the highest possible recognition."
Magawa is African Giant Pouched Rat. He was used in mine-clearing programme because rats are creatures best suited to safely detect landmines. They are light and have keen sense of smell. In his seven-year stint on front line, Magawa helped to detect 39 landmines and 28 unexploded devices. He helped to clear more than 141,000 square meters of land - area roughly the size of 20 soccer pitches. This makes him most successful rodent in history of landmine detection. The charity's chairman said: "This is very first time in our 77-year history of honouring animals that we have presented a medal to rat." Reporters tried to interview Magawa but he was unavailable for comment.
