Demining Operations Support
The Mayaguez Memorial VFW Post 11575, located in Phnom Penh has members residing all over the Kingdom, and one of the things we are serious about is the removal of mines and ordinance that are left over from the many conflicts the Khmer people had to suffer through.
Just imagine what would go through your mind when you send your children out into the area, and you have to remind them to stay out of the mine fields.
So, those mines and have to be removed as soon as possible, for the safety of all.
To that end, we support Apopo, where they "... save lives by training animals to help rid the world of landmines and tuberculosis."
Our support consists of "adopting" two of their highly trained animals. These animals seek out explosives by scent, so explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) personnel can then remove or neutralize them.
Meet Imeldo, our HeroRat
Imeldo is a highly trained and newly accredited Mine Detection Rat, or ‘HeroRAT’ for short. HeroRATs like Imeldo use their remarkable sense of smell to safely sniff out explosives faster and more accurately than existing methods.
As Apopo's website points out,
"A single Technical Survey Dog (aka HeroDOG) can effectively survey an area of up to 2000 m2 per day across challenging terrain with vegetation."
That is the equivalent of 21,528 square feet.
Meet Kim, Our Hero Dog
Our adopted APOPO HeroDOG, Kim, continues making a real difference in Cambodia.
During the last quarter, Kim helped clear 65,091 square meters of land while detecting 2 landmines and 1 explosive remnant of war.
Kim is now supporting emergency clearance operations near the Cambodia–Thailand border, helping make farmland, schools, and local communities safer.
Join us in helping to make the world a safer place. Learn about the Apopo organization here.
And if you would like to learn more about demining operations and these wonderful animals, there is a 30-minute tour conducted by the Apopo Visitor Center in Siem Reap.
