A Westmeath woman has expressed her surprise and pride after a landmine-hunting rat that she adopted in Cambodia set a world record for sniffing out devices.
Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly war remnants since his deployment to northern Preah Vihear province in August 2021.
Last week, charity APOPO said Ronin was named the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in the organisation's history.
Eímear O'Donnell from Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, was travelling in southeast Asia late last year on the typical backpacking route when she and her tour group visited the APOPO Visitor Centre in Siem Reap in Cambodia.
There she was introduced to a number of rats in training for landmine detection, as Cambodia remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms since a civil war ended in 1998.
One of the most landmine-affected countries in the world, landmines have caused approximately 20,000 deaths and 45,000 injuries, with incidents still being reported regularly in recent years, according to the Landmine Monitor.
Cambodia also has the highest ratio of amputees per capita than any other country in the world, largely due to landmines.
Ms O’Donnell said that her eyes were opened to the dangers that communities in Cambodia still face in the aftermath of the conflict there, but also the heroism of the highly skilled rats who are specially trained to sniff out landmines.
Due to their light weight, the rats are not heavy enough to set off landmines when they step onto them and so are safe to be used for this type of life-saving work.
Ms O’Donnell explained that at the end of her visit to the rat training centre, there was an opportunity to adopt and support one of the rats, and her rat of choice just so happened to be Ronin.
She said that hearing that he had taken the Guinness World Record title filled her with pride.
"Since adopting Ronin, it has been great fun to tell my friends and family about what he has been up to as I get a regular newsletter about him which includes stats on how many landmines he has detected and land he has cleared. But seeing him break a world record has been amazing to witness, and it’s brilliant that his work is raising awareness of APOPO."
For more than 25 years, APOPO has worked to clear landmines in Cambodia and across the world.
"When I heard about the world record title, I just thought what are the chances that I got to adopt the record holder, so I felt very lucky and proud of him too," Ms O’Donnell said.
"All the rats I met in Cambodia are doing such great work, so while it’s great that he has the title, I’m sure the rest of the rats are working just as hard."
Ms O’Donnell recommended visiting the centre, where she got to see the rats in action as they were being trained to sniff out trinitrotoluene (TNT).
The rats are trained through the use of clicker training, which practises positive reinforcement, as rats are taught to associate the sound of a click with receiving a treat or snack when they sniff out the scent of explosives accurately.
The training also sees the rats working systematically within a grid pattern, as they wear a harness which is attached to a line above them. They indicate landmines by scratching at the ground.
The work is considered by the trainers to be an enrichment activity, to keep the rats both physically and mentally stimulated.
Ms O’Donnell said that it was an immersive experience getting to handle the rats and seeing a demonstration of how they sniff out landmines.
"At the centre, two trainers are in charge of one rat who goes back and forth between the trainers in what looks like a sandpit. When they find a TNT spot, they do what looks like a bit of a dance and start to dig, and then get a reward for that.
"Obviously there weren't any landmines there at the centre as it'd be too dangerous, but it was very interesting to see how the rat reacted to the TNT.
"It was definitely an opportunity to learn more about rats and to get up close and personal. They are amazing creatures, and are calm, friendly and very intelligent. The trainers were all very informative, and you could see that they genuinely did care for the animal’s welfare so the centre was run like a well-oiled machine."
APOPO’s rats only work for 30 minutes per day, in the early hours of the morning to avoid direct sunlight. Sunscreen is also applied to their ears to prevent them getting burned while out searching for explosives in the sun.
The African giant pouched rat typically live for eight years or more, but when they start showing signs of slowing down or less interest in their tasks, they retire to APOPO’s retirement colony to live out the rest of their lives in comfort.
As Ronin is five years old, he may have two or more years of detection work ahead.
Ms O'Donnell said that before going travelling, this type of charity work would not have been on her radar, and she said that visiting the centre and adopting Ronin brought her closer to the history of Cambodia and made her see it in a different way.
"I was really impressed by how APOPO is turning something so negative into something positive.
"Cambodia seemed to be lesser known by backpackers than Thailand or Vietnam when travelling to southeast Asia, but through activities like these they are rebuilding their country after so much hardship and it’s admirable. Families in Cambodia are reclaiming their land, and the landmine clearance is making people feel safer to visit.
"Seeing how much of an impact that these creatures make definitely made me happy to support the cause.
"In the newsletters I receive, there is sometimes a person featured who has experienced loss in the landmine areas, so that definitely makes me feel connected to it. Other updates have included the HeroDogs, who are clearing landmines in Cambodia and Ukraine. I’ve adopted zoo animals and rescue animals here in Ireland before, but by adopting Ronin and supporting the work, you feel like you're contributing in some way.
"It’s like you’re not just a tourist going to a country, partying and leaving, you are learning more about the history and supporting the work of local communities which is very important," she said.
Cambodia had aimed to be mine-free by 2025, but the government pushed the deadline back by five years because of funding challenges and new landmine fields found along the Thai border.
APOPO’s aim is to accelerate the detection and removal of landmines, contributing to Cambodia’s goal of becoming landmine-free.
Managing Editor at Guinness World Records Adam Millward said: "The life-changing results of APOPO’s HeroRATs, their handlers and all the people involved with training and caring for these incredible animals is a revelatory example of the good that can be achieved when humans and animals work together."
