8-Year-Old 'Hero Rat' Magawa Dies After Saving Lives in Cambodia Through Landmine Detection

Magawa, the "hero rat" who saved countless lives through the detection of landmines, has died.

Magawa "passed away peacefully" over the weekend, according to an announcement on Instagram from APOPO, the non-governmental organization that trains rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis.

"Magawa was in good health and spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm, but towards the weekend he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days," the statement read. "Magawa had recently celebrated his birthday in November, reaching the grand old age of 8."

APOPO trained the African giant pouched rat at its research center in Tanzania after his birth in 2013. He would later go on to save lives in Cambodia through his landmine detection efforts over the course of five years using his heightened sense of smell.

"All of us at APOPO are feeling the loss of Magawa and we are grateful for the incredible work he's done," the organization added. "During his career, Magawa found over 100 landmines and other explosives, making him APOPO's most successful HeroRAT to date. His contribution allows communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play; without fear of losing life or limb."

In June, it was announced that Magawa would retire after a successful five-year career, in which his work directly "saved the lives of men, women and children who were impacted by hidden landmines and other deadly remnants of war."

After Magawa's retirement last year, the organization said HeroRAT Ronin took his place.

According to CNN, Magawa was an integral part in helping to clear more than 225,000 square meters of explosive-ridden land in Cambodia.

In September 2020, Magawa's efforts earned him a gold medal from the PDSA (formerly known as the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals), becoming the first rat to receive the U.K. charity's honor reserved for heroic animals.

At 27.5 inches long and weighing 2.7 lbs., the agency said the trained rats made for the ideal animal to safely step over explosives without detonating them.

The APOPO's website states that a HeroRAT can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes, while a human equipped with a metal detector would take four days.

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Based on a prior report from the Associated Press, Magawa's favorite foods were bananas and peanuts. He enjoyed his running wheel and his trainers described him as "quick and decisive" — but he also liked "to take naps at break time."