Record-breaking rat has a unique sense of smell that finds explosives (7 photos)

A rat from Tanzania named Ronin independently found 109 anti-personnel mines and 15 other munitions left over from past wars between August 2021 and February 2025. Now she is a contender for the title of record holder.





Ronin the rat is one of the wards of the Belgian non-profit organization APOPO, which has been restoring the reputation of these rodents for over 25 years, and also helping countries affected by military actions at different times and in different parts of the world.

One of the developments of this organization is a program in which employees train African giant rats to use their olfactory receptors to find dangerous chemicals or weapons, which are often left in abandoned places after military actions. The organization cooperates with the Tanzanian Agricultural University, where such rodents are born and raised.



Ronin is one of the participants in this program. He not only trained his sense of smell so much that he became an indispensable assistant to people in the search for old explosives, but also achieved many results in this area.





In the Siem Reap region of Cambodia, between August 2021 and February 2025, he managed to find 109 anti-personnel mines, as well as 15 other munitions that had not exploded since the fighting. Ronin is now 5 years old and the people he works with describe him as extremely hard-working.



"His intelligence and natural curiosity help him stay interested. Finding mines is like a fun game for him, and no two days are the same," one of the workers said.

Ronin's general manager said that Ronin's example proves the special role that rodents can play in people's lives.



"Ronin's achievements are a testament to the incredible potential of rats. He is not just an asset: he is a valuable partner and colleague," said manager Fanny.



Ronin is currently in contention for the record for the most landmines found by a rat. His predecessor, Magawa, found 71 mines between 2016 and 2021. She was "retired" in 2021, but died of old age in 2022.