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In Cambodia, African giant pouched rats are proving invaluable in detecting landmines. Trained by APOPO, these rats' keen sense of smell allows them to quickly locate TNT, a key component in most landmines. Rat handlers like Mott Sreymom express high confidence in their effectiveness, highlighting the rats' reliability and friendly nature. Despite significant progress in demining since 1992, with over 1.1 million mines cleared, a substantial area remains contaminated, making the rats' contribution crucial to Cambodia's ongoing efforts to clear the explosive remnants of decades of conflict.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.