In the early hours of the morning, while most are still asleep, a team of specially trained rats begins their day with a mission of utmost importance: making Cambodia safer. 

These HeroRATs, trained by the Belgian non-profit organisation APOPO, use their extraordinary sense of smell to identify deadly landmines, helping to clear large areas of land and ensure safe passage for local communities.

Rising at 4am to start their work at 6am, these remarkable rodents can cover 300-400 square metres of land each day. 

Their keen sense of smell allows them to quickly locate landmines, which are then safely removed manually by human specialists. 

This innovative approach significantly speeds up the demining process, with rats able to cover the area in just 30 minutes, much faster than their human counterparts.

Once at the minefield, demining experts don their protective gear before proceeding to the designated area. According to APOPO communications officer Lily Shallom, two handlers are assigned to each rat, and together they cover the prepared 100-square-metre sections.

“The rats are used to quickly identify where landmines are buried. Since they are nocturnal and sensitive to heat, they rest in the shade and sleep afterward,” she told The Post.

"Then, our manual deminers step in to carefully dig up the [ordnance] and other explosive remnants of war [ERW] so they can be safely destroyed."

APOPO currently operates in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cambodia and South Sudan. It has also worked in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, though these operations are currently closed.

According to the organisation, “The scale of the challenge is immense. Globally, 162,924 landmines and other explosives have been destroyed, resulting in 107,667,340 square metres of land being safely returned to local communities.”

This effort has liberated 2,281,642 people from the perpetual threat of ERW. 

Since 2015, APOPO has partnered with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) in Siem Reap province, achieving remarkable results. 

The programme currently operates with over 60 animals across four provinces: Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Battambang and Ratanakkiri. 

These HeroRATs are complemented by technical survey dogs and manual deminers, creating a highly efficient and effective team.

In 2023, the organisation intensified its efforts by deploying an additional Technical Survey Dog (TSD) team to speed up clearance efforts in and around the Koh Ker temple perimeter. 

“This historic site, which includes a densely forested area with 169 archaeological remains, including 76 temples, is a culturally significant site for Cambodia,” according to APOPO’s 2023 annual report. 

The recognition of Koh Ker as the fourth Cambodia World Heritage Site by UNESCO in September 2023 highlighted the importance of protecting these historical sites from the threat of landmines and other explosives.

The Cambodia programme exceeded all previous achievements, releasing over 18.5 million square metres of land back to local communities for development. 

“APOPO's efforts led to the discovery and destruction of 532 landmines, 60 cluster munitions and 392 other ERW, proving invaluable in enabling communities to live freely and restore their livelihoods,” the report stated.

Additionally, the Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and Victim Assistance (VA) team successfully reached 26,193 people through mine risk education sessions and 274 mine victims received treatment through their partner, Humanity and Inclusion (HI).

Despite the complexities and challenges faced by the programme, the organisation’s commitment and strategic partnerships have made significant strides toward Cambodia’s goal of becoming mine-free by 2025.

Going forward, the organisation aims to expand its cutting-edge work to other countries, particularly those among the 30 high tuberculosis (TB)-burden nations.

“APOPO-trained rats can sniff 100 samples in just 20 minutes and indicate whether they are positive for TB,” the report stated.

To raise awareness about these crucial demining efforts, the organisation established the APOPO Visitor Center in Siem Reap province in 2017, located in Trapeang Ses village in Siem Reap town’s Kokchak commune.

The centre offers tourists a unique opportunity to learn about the country’s history with landmines and the innovative work being done to clear them.

Visitors can witness HeroRATs in action as they sniff out TNT in a designated area, rewarded with bananas for their successful detection.

Meas Sambath, manager of the centre, emphasises the positive impact of the rodents, explaining the organisation’s mission and the rats' role in detecting landmines. 

He said the centre saw a significant increase in visitor numbers in 2023, welcoming over 33,000 guests compared to 8,614 in 2022.

“I tell visitors a bit about our history and the victims, but I try to focus on the rats – explaining where they come from and how they detect TNT underground,” said Sambath.

He begins with an introduction to APOPO’s background and the global impact of mines and unexploded ordnances (UXO).

“After that, we touch on Cambodia’s history to provide context for why we’re here today. We also discuss the rats and their role in the demining process,” he added.

According to APOPO, the organisation has been working for over 25 years to clear landmines in Cambodia, one of the most heavily affected countries in the world. 

A visit to the centre is considered one of the top attractions in Siem Reap, complementing visits to other famous sites such as Angkor Wat and various national parks. 

Visitors have the chance to meet these remarkable HeroRATs and learn about the critical role they play in making land safe for local communities.

The center not only highlights this important work but also provides an opportunity for tourists to support the cause while offering an educational experience for visitors to Siem Reap, being open daily from 8:30am to 5pm.

Tour prices for 2024 are set at $10 per person for joint tours, with private tours available at $30 per person for groups of one to four people and $20 per person for groups of five to 20.

Souvenirs are available for purchase, and visitors can adopt a HeroRat for $60 annually, receiving updates on their rodent’s activities and contributions to making Cambodia safer. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets in advance.