Fieldwork in Minefields: Researching Rats to the Rescue
Guest post by Lerner Publishing Group, 2024 Platinum Sponsor
Years ago, when I read an article about Magawa, an award-winning “HeroRAT” who sniffed out landmines in Cambodia, my writing senses tingled. Kids would be fascinated by him, I first thought–or would they? Characters searching for buried weapons in war-torn lands isn’t your typical picture book fare. Honestly, I had no idea if this story would go anywhere, but there was only one way to find out.
I read everything I could about Magawa, about his deminer handlers from the APOPO organization, and about the history of Cambodia. I reached out to Sambat Meas, the APOPO Visitor Center manager who graciously answered endless questions. He even invited me to come visit the deminers and rats in person in the field. I had traveled from my home in Singapore to Cambodia a number of times to work with teachers and students in schools, but this time I would be going to visit another group of heroes.
In months I found myself standing next to Sambat and teams of deminers and rats in a minefield on the Cambodian-Thai border. After the morning’s briefing, we put on our helmets and protective vests and walked into the minefield following the white ropes and stakes. Their red counterparts roped off no-go zones. Just to be safe, I walked right behind Sambat and the others.
The task that day was to clear six more tennis court-sized plots of land, a daunting task for sure, but more manageable with their HeroRATs. Trained to use their smelling superpower to detect TNT, these giant African pouched rats are light enough to safely walk across minefields without any risk at all. Sambat and I watched as teams of rats and deminers worked systematically through each plot. A pair of deminers stand on either side of the “box” with a rope looped around one of their legs connecting them. After attaching their rat’s harness to the rope, they carefully watch him move back and forth. And when the rat scratches, they’re indicating there’s a buried bomb below. That day, the teams found two buried landmines, one of which was only steps away from where we were standing!
After the teams cleared the land, Sambat and I sat down with the deminers. One of them was Malen, Magawa’s demining handler. She told us her story, how she grew up fearful of landmines, how she vowed to become one of the first women deminers, how she trained with APOPO and worked with Magawa. Driving back to the city later that day, Sambat shared his own story. His family fled Cambodia to live in a refugee camp in Thailand only to return years later crossing dangerous territory due to the landmines. And now, he works for APOPO to honor their bravery.
Throughout my research, I was learning that while this story has its roots in destruction and despair, it’s so much more. With Malen’s determination, the APOPO scientists’ ingenuity, their deminers’ perseverance, and the HeroRATs’ accomplishments, this is ultimately a story about hope and resilience. But to tell it properly, I knew that I wanted to write it in collaboration with Sambat. And eventually, when Huy Voun Lee added her gorgeous illustrations and personal story in the backmatter, Rats to the Rescue was complete. Like the teams of deminers and rats working in the fields, Sambat, Huy, and I had become our own team bringing this book to life. Without each of our contributions and perspectives, it just wouldn’t have been possible.
Scott Riley and a HeroRAT
APOPO deminers and a HeroRAT at work
Scott Riley and Sambat Meas interviewing APOPO deminers
Scott Riley and Sambat Meas talk with Malen about the demining process
Scott Riley has lived and taught overseas for nearly thirty years. Inspired by his travels, Scott writes about the inspiring people and remarkable places they call home. Scott’s first book, The Floating Field (Millbrook Press), came out in 2021. Rats to the Rescue (Millbrook Press) is Scott’s second book.
