‘Hero’ rats save lives in Cambodia

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‘Hero’ rats save lives in Cambodia

A new excursion developed by our Cambodia team enables guests to watch ‘hero’ rats in action as they help clear rural landscapes of active landmines.

Cambodia is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world and a visit to the APOPO visitor centre in Siem Reap reveals the African giant pouched rat’s ability to sniff out chemical compounds in concealed devices.

The rodents ignore metal, enabling a much faster detection of buried landmines than through the use of a metal detector. An explosives specialist then safely deactivates the mine and a treat is given to the rat. Demined, fertile land can then be used for farming, raising local living standards.

Our visits to APOPO help fund this pioneering scheme.

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