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A rat has been given a [distinguished / distinguish] award for bravery for his services to humanity. The [vacuum / valiant] rodent is called Magawa. He was awarded a gold medal for his seven years of [duty / duly] sniffing out dozens of landmines in Cambodia. He [was / has] bestowed the award by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals charity. This is a veterinary charity [basted / based] in the United Kingdom. The charity explained [why / what] Magawa was recognised for his [entourage / courage] . It wrote: "The PDSA...seeks to [rise / raise] the status of animals in society and honour the incredible contribution they [make / did] to our lives. Magawa's dedication, skill and bravery are an extraordinary [specimen / example] of this and deserve the highest possible recognition."

Magawa is an African Giant Pouched Rat. He was [use / used] in the mine-clearing programme because rats are the [creatures / creature] best [suited / clothed] to safely detect landmines. They are light and have a [acute / keen] sense of smell. In his seven-year stint on the [back / front] line, Magawa helped to detect 39 landmines and 28 unexploded devices. He helped to clear more than 141,000 square meters of land - an area [rough / roughly] the size of 20 soccer pitches. This [means / makes] him the most successful rodent in the [history / historian] of landmine detection. The charity's chairman said: "This is the very [first / last] time in our 77-year history of honoring animals that we have presented a medal [of / to] a rat." Reporters tried to interview Magawa but he was unavailable for [post / comment] .