An African giant pouched rat has been awarded a prestigious gold medal for his work detecting land mines.

Magawa has sniffed out 39 landmines and 28 unexploded munitions in his career. 

 The UK veterinary charity PDSA has presented him with its Gold Medal for "life-saving devotion to duty, in the location and clearance of deadly landmines in Cambodia". There are thought to be up to six million landmines in the southeast Asian country. PDSA's Gold Medal is inscribed with the words "For animal gallantry or devotion to duty". Of the 30 animal recipients of the award, Magawa is the first rat.

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