Landmine-sniffing rat Magawa retires after years of life-saving work in Cambodia

Cambodian landmine detection rat, Magawa, wearing his PDSA Gold Medal (PDSA/AP)

An African giant pouched rat is retiring after five years of sniffing out landmines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia.

Magawa has been the most successful rodent trained and overseen by the Belgian charity Apopo to find landmines and alert its human handlers so the explosives can be safely removed.