While visiting Cambodia recently, I made a stop at one of Siem Reap’s most unique attractions — the APOPO Visitor Centre, where trained rats are helping to clear landmines and save lives. Located just a short drive from the Angkor Wat temple complex, the centre offers a rare opportunity to witness innovation and compassion in action.
APOPO, a non-profit organisation, uses specially trained African giant pouched rats, known as HeroRATs, to detect landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Cambodia remains one of the world’s most heavily mined countries, with an estimated 4 to 6 million landmines left behind from decades of conflict. These hidden dangers continue to affect rural communities, posing a daily threat to safety, agriculture, and development.
A Meaningful Visitor Experience
At the visitor centre, guests are welcomed with a guided tour explaining the history and ongoing impact of landmines in Cambodia. Through engaging displays and real-life stories, we gained insight into the scale of the problem and the difference that APOPO’s work is making on the ground.
The highlight of the tour is a live demonstration, where we watched the HeroRATs locate buried explosives with impressive speed and accuracy. These rats are trained at APOPO’s main facility in Tanzania before being deployed to operational sites such as Cambodia. Thanks to their strong sense of smell and lightweight bodies, they can detect TNT in landmines without triggering them, making their work both efficient and safe.
The HeroRATs are affectionately given names like Poppy, Peter Parker, and Ronan, which brought smiles to our faces, even in the face of such sobering subject matter.
Each rat is paired with a dedicated trainer who ensures their health, happiness, and enrichment. The bond between the rat and the trainer is evident during the demonstration, and the staff go to great lengths to provide top-level care.
We also had the chance to meet the HeroRATs up close, learn about their training process, and explore the facility’s exhibits on the science behind scent detection. Despite the seriousness of their work, the rats are surprisingly cute and friendly. It was a memorable experience to be able to gently hold one for a moment and see how calm and intelligent they are up close.
Expanding Roles and Global Impact
In addition to demining, APOPO is now training rats for illegal wildlife trafficking detection, tuberculosis screening, and search and rescue missions. These programmes are based in Tanzania but have growing applications across multiple regions.
APOPO operates in several countries, including Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Laos, and has recently extended efforts to Ukraine in response to the rising need for demining due to ongoing conflict. The organisation’s flexible, science-based approach allows it to adapt to a range of humanitarian crises across continents.
The HeroRATs have collectively helped clear millions of square metres of land, restoring safe access to homes, schools, and farmland, and allowing communities to rebuild with confidence.
The organisation’s work has received international recognition, with supporters including Dr Jane Goodall, who praised APOPO for combining animal intelligence with humanitarian impact.
Travel That Makes a Difference
According to APOPO, proceeds from the visitor centre go directly back into the Cambodia programme, supporting mine clearance operations and community outreach. “By visiting the APOPO Visitor Centre, you’re not just learning about Cambodia’s past — you’re actively contributing to a safer future,” said Lily, a communications representative from APOPO.
Guests can also support the organisation by making donations, purchasing items from the on-site gift shop, or symbolically adopting a HeroRAT, which helps fund their training and care. While volunteering is not currently offered at the Siem Reap location, the centre encourages visitors to stay involved through various channels, including online campaigns and educational outreach.
Real Lives Impacted
Part of the visit includes hearing stories of people whose lives have been changed through landmine clearance. APOPO regularly publishes survivor accounts on their website, detailing how safe land access has restored livelihoods, opened schools, and allowed families to return to their land without fear.
Among APOPO’s most famous HeroRATs is Magawa, who helped clear over 100,000 square metres of land during his career. In 2020, he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal — the animal equivalent of the George Cross — for life-saving bravery. He even received a custom-made, rat-sized medal for his efforts.
Staff at the centre say visitors are often surprised by the large size of the rats and their speed and precision in the field. The experience is both educational and heart-warming, and the overall atmosphere at the facility is welcoming, well-managed, and inspiring.
A Hidden Gem in Siem Reap
Though lesser known than the nearby temples, the APOPO Visitor Centre offers something equally powerful — a look at how science, empathy, and a few clever rodents are making a real difference in post-conflict recovery.
It’s a reminder that travel can go beyond sightseeing and contribute to meaningful change.
If you are interested in learning more or supporting APOPO’s mission, visit https://apopo.org.
