The hamster received a gold medal for his help in finding landmines.

On Friday 25 September, a UK-based veterinary charity presented the male rat hamster with a gold medal for “bravery in saving lives and dedication to service”.

Magawa, whose official title is “rat hero”, has been searching for landmines for the past seven years and has found 39 landmines and 28 unexploded ordnance during his career. According to the PDSA charity, Magawa has sniffed an area equivalent to 20 soccer fields. Find the size of a tennis court in 20 minutes.

Using a metal detector would take one to four days for one person to do the same job. Magawa was trained to smell landmines at the Tanzania-based NGO Apopo.

This organization teaches rats to recognize landmines and tuberculosis by smell. The suitability of the animals is evaluated after one year of training. Magawa is the first representative of his kind to receive the PDSA medal.
The PDSA rewards non-military animals for their bravery in saving lives and their exceptional dedication to service. Animals previously honored by the PDSA include dogs, horses, pigeons, and a cat.