World Hero Rate /Cambodia’s Hero Rat Sparks Global Debate: Rodent Breaks Record While Human Casualties Persist

In a stunning yet sobering twist, a rat named Ronin has become the world’s most successful landmine detector — while human deaths from unexploded ordnance in Cambodia continue to rise. The revelation has sparked international praise for Ronin’s achievements, but also renewed outrage over why, decades after war ended, humans are still dying while animals clean up the mess.

Ronin, a five-year-old African pouched rat trained by Belgian charity APOPO, has sniffed out 109 landmines and 15 other explosive remnants since 2021, earning him a Guinness World Record and the title of most accomplished Mine Detection Rat in history. He surpasses the previous record holder, Magawa, who cleared 71 mines before his retirement in 2021.

While the rodent’s accomplishments are undeniably heroic — and a testament to innovative humanitarian demining — critics say the celebration glosses over a harsh truth: **Cambodia remains dangerously riddled with deadly war relics, and progress on clearing them has been painfully slow.

“This is not just a feel-good story about a clever rat,” says one human rights activist. “It’s a damning indictment of decades of failed efforts, underfunded programs, and broken promises.”

Despite pledging to be mine-free by 2025, the Cambodian government recently pushed that goal to 2030, citing lack of funding and new minefields uncovered along the Thai border. Meanwhile, tragedy continues: just weeks ago, two toddlers were killed in Siem Reap after a decades-old rocket-propelled grenade detonated near their home.

Supporters hail Ronin as a symbol of hope and perseverance, with his handler Phanny calling him “a valued partner and colleague.” But to others, the story highlights the disturbing irony of a rodent doing a job that should never have been necessary in the first place — in a country still haunted by the ghosts of war and global neglect.

“Until children stop dying and rats stop being the front line of demining,” one critic said, “we should hold the applause.”