Meet the record-breaking rat with a nose for sniffing out wartime explosives

It’s fair to say that rats don’t rate very highly in most people’s lists of beloved animals… But perhaps today on World Rat Day (4 April), one record-setting rat could make you reassess your opinions.

For more than 25 years, the Belgian nonprofit APOPO has been on a mission to rehabilitate these rodents’ long-maligned reputation while also helping citizens of conflict-ravaged countries. Their secret? Flipping the narrative from reviled vermin to superhero service animals.

APOPO has pioneered a programme where they teach African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) to sniff out the chemicals in abandoned mines and other weapons that get left behind after periods of war. This has been in close collaboration with Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, where all the rats are born and raised. Currently there are 104 active rodent recruits, or as APOPO likes to call them, HeroRATs.

These four-legged bomb-detecting experts are deployed to various regions around the world, where – assisted by specialist handlers – they set about putting their training into practice, uncovering devices that can be fatal or cause life-changing injuries if stepped on unwittingly by a passer-by.

This crucial work is making a tangible difference to people who have been blighted for decades by the fear that one misstep while going about their day-to-day lives could be their last.

The pouched rats’ small bodies (they are too light to trigger buried explosives), keen intelligence and powerful sense of smell make them perfectly suited to this job. As dangerous as it is for humans, the organization is keen to stress that they have never had a casualty among their rats while on the job.

Proving their versatility, some of the HeroRATs have also branched out to be able to use their super olfactory capability to detect tuberculosis in a medical setting. They are helping to increase both the speed and accuracy of diagnosing this highly infectious disease – both of which are vital in trying to prevent an epidemic, especially in areas where resources are limited owing to war or poverty.

Since APOPO was founded in 1997 by Bart Weetjens, the project has cleared a staggering 169,713 landmines and other explosives from war-impacted regions of Africa, Europe and south-east Asia. This feat is the cumulative achievement of a multi-species army of de-miners that includes rats, dogs and humans.

One particularly industrious rodent worker who deserves to be spotlighted on World Rat Day goes by the name of Ronin. Between August 2021 and February 2025, he alone has uncovered 109 landmines – along with 15 further pieces of UXO (unexploded ordnance) – all in the Siem Reap region of Cambodia. This means that Ronin now claims the title of most landmines detected by a rat.

The previous holder was another of APOPO’s HeroRATs – Magawa – who retired in May 2021 with a tally of 71 mines (plus 38 UXOs) discovered over nearly five years. He was even bestowed a bravery medal by the PDSA animal charity for his service, but sadly passed away of old age in January 2022.

Ronin, who is currently five years old, is described as being “hardworking but also friendly and relaxed”. As to why they think he has so particularly excelled at his job, APOPO’s Lily Shallom averred: “Ronin’s success likely comes from his sharp focus, strong work ethic and love of problem-solving.

“His intelligence and natural curiosity help him stay engaged. Finding landmines is like a fun game to him and no two days are the same.”

It’s not all about the day job, though, and the welfare and providing well-rounded care and enrichment for the rats while off-duty is as paramount as looking after them while on at work. In his downtime with the local handlers that he lives with in Cambodia, Ronin loves “figuring out how to get to a hidden treat or navigating an obstacle course in his play enclosure.”

Ronin's main handler, Phanny, told GWR: “Ronin’s achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of rats. He’s not just an asset; he’s a valued partner and colleague.”

So just how will Ronin be seeing in World Rat Day? Shallom revealed:
“World Rat Day on 4 April also happens to be International Day for Landmine Awareness! Ronin will be hard at work in the morning, helping to find as many landmines and other hidden dangers as he can.

“When he returns to base, he’ll be celebrating with a special ‘Full Cheek Friday’ feast – a well-earned reward for his dedication and service!”