Tending to Cambodia's landmine-clearing rats

New Zealand veterinarian Trish Johansen has been running a clinic in Siem Reap since 2015, and among her clients have been Cambodia’s remarkable landmine-clearing African large pouched rats. The death of one such rat, Magawa on January 8 aged eight, made world headlines. In 2020 Magawa was awarded what has been described as the George Cross for animals, the PDSA gold medal for bravery. Johansen provided regular health checks to Magawa and the other rats, and visited Tanzania where organisation APOPO breed and train them. nnections between animals and humans.

Magawa, the famous African large pouched rat, with his medal.

Trish Johansen operating on a monkey with a broken finger in Siem Reap.

A landmine rat in training with APOPO in Tanzania. Image: Trish Johansen Photography.

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