Landmines remain an ever present danger on battlefields. That’s for both soldiers in an active conflict and civilians once a war is over. Millions of anti-personnel landmines are buried around the world, and while groups work to remove them safely, in recent years they’ve turned to a novel tool to help: Rats. And one rat based out of Cambodia has now detected more landmines than any other rat in history.
Meet Ronin. Ronin has detected 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance since 2021. That’s according to both APOPO, the charity that trained the African giant pouched rat, and the Guinness Book of World Records, which declared Ronin the new record holder. He’s currently working in Preah Vihear Province in Cambodia, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.
The Guinness Book of World Records announced Ronin’s achievement on April 4, which happens to be both International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action and World Rat Day — yes that is a thing. Ronin, who works with a handler in the field, set the record for work done between August 2021-February 2025. He’s one of dozens of specially trained rodents active in locating landmines for demining efforts.
