Page 14 - Dec_BoomerTimes_2020

From The December Cover From The December Cover

Giant Rat Wins Animal Hero Award Meat Pies

For Sniffing Out Landmines During the holidays, the Maduro
family makes and sells thousands of
A rat has for the first time won a these pies.
British charity’s top civilian award FOR THE FILLING
for animal bravery, receiving the • 1 lb. lean ground chuck
honor for searching out unexplod- • 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and
ed landmines in Cambodia. chopped
Magawa, a giant African pouched • 1 yellow onion, peeled and finely
rat, was awarded the PDSA’s Gold chopped
Medal for his “lifesaving bravery and devotion” after discovering 39 • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordinance in the past seven • 4 pimiento-stuffed green olives,
years, according to the charity. minced
First known as the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA start-
ed as a free veterinary clinic in 1917 and has heroic animals since 1943. • 2 tbsp. butter
Magawa was trained by a Belgian organization that has taught rats • 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
to find landmines for more than 20 years. The group, APOPO, works • 1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
with programs in Cambodia, Angola, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to • 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
clear millions of mines left behind from wars and conflicts. • Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
Magawa is the group’s most successful rat, having cleared more than • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
141,000 square meters of land, the equivalent of some 20 soccer fields. • 1 tbsp. flour
APOPO chief executive Christophe Cox described Magawa’s medal • 1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard
as a huge honor “for our animal trainers.’’ • 3 tbsp. dry sherry
“But also, it is big for the people in Cambodia, and all the people FOR THE DOUGH
around the world who are suffering from landmines,’’ Cox said. “The • 4 cups flour
PDSA Gold Medal award brings the problem of landmines to global • 1 tsp. salt
attention.” • 1 1⁄4 cups lard or vegetable shortening
His Name Is Magawa • 2 eggs, beaten
To read the instructions, go to BoomerTimesFL.com.
More than 60 million people in 59 countries continue to be threat-
ened by landmines and unexploded ordinance, according to APOPO.
In 2018, landmines and other remnants of war killed or injured 6,897
people, the group says.
While many rodents can be trained to detect scents and will work at
repetitive tasks for food rewards, APOPO decided that giant African
pouched rats were best suited to landmine clearance because of their
African origins and lifespan of up to eight years. THE
Their size allows the rats to walk across mine fields without triggering
the explosives—and do it much more quickly than people. PRINTERS
The PDSA’s Gold Medal has been awarded since 2002 to recog- P L U S !
nize bravery and acts of exceptional devotion by animals in civilian
service. It is considered the animal equivalent of the George Cross, a 2681 West McNab Road • Pompano Beach, FL 33069
decoration for heroism.
Before Magawa, all the recipients were dogs.
PDSA also awards the Dickin Medal for military service. The medal
has been awarded to 34 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and one cat
since it was created in 1943.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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14 / BoomerTimes & SeniorLife BoomerTimesFL.com DECEMBER 2020