Retirement Built For a Rat

by | Jun 11, 2021

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After five years of hard work one of Cambodia’s best workers is retiring. I’m Brian Banmiller on Business.

Magawa is an African giant pouched rat who has made a career of sniffing out land mines and unexploded material. During his time on the job he has cleared more than 1 million square feet of land, or about 20 soccer fields. He has sniffed out 71 land mines and 38 grams of dangerous material. The Belgian nonprofit that trained him says these types of rats are best suited for the job because they can walk across mine fields quickly and without triggering the explosives, and Magawa is one of the best to come through the training program. Last year he won a British charity’s Top Civilian award for animal bravery, an honor usually reserved for dogs. Now he’ll spend his golden years in the same cage as before with the same food and treats. His schedule will include regular exercise and health checks, and playtime in a larger area with a sandbox and running wheel. Basically, he will maintain his normal routine, just without the mine fields. Brian Banmiller, CBS News

Brian Banmiller

About Brian

CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.

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