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Cambodia honours Hero Rat Magawa with statue in Siem Reap; here's how real-life 'Stuart Little' helped clear death traps
Updated On: 09 April, 2026 08:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Cambodia has honoured Magawa, a mine-detecting rat, with a statue in Siem Reap for his life-saving work. He cleared vast areas of land and detected dozens of landmines, helping protect communities in a country still affected by war remnants
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Magawa: The mine-sniffing rat. PIC/AFP
Not all heroes wear capes; some wear tiny harnesses and sniff out danger. With the quiet courage of real-life 'Stuart Little' and the quick-witted charm of Jerry, Cambodia found its own unlikely hero, Magawa—a tiny creature whose extraordinary bravery and life-saving skills did not just win hearts but also etched his name in history, proving that even the smallest creatures can make the biggest difference.
Now, that legacy has been set in stone and a statue of Magawa, the world-famous mine-detecting rat, has been installed in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The sculpture was unveiled on April 3, 2026, just ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness, according to an AFP report.
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