Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance has a new lifesaver on the team.
For while the pilots and paramedics are flying life-saving pre-hospital care to those most seriously ill or injured throughout Scotland, Ronin the HeroRAT is busy saving lives in mine-strewn Cambodia under the sponsorship of the Scottish charity.
Ronin’s sponsorship through international scent detection animals charity APOPO was gifted to SCAA last Christmas by a Trust which has been supporting the air ambulance since 2016.
And in his first year on the SCAA team, Ronin has proved he’s every bit as heroic as his adoptive sponsors.
SCAA Grants and Trusts Officer Kathryn Cooper said the Trust donating the quirky gift wished to remain anonymous but was happy to explain why it had selected a HeroRAT for SCAA.
“They explained that ‘Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and we thought that the heroes of SCAA would like to meet HeroRat Ronin!’,” said Kathryn. “It proved a popular and perfect gift as the crews take a keen interest in Ronin’s life-saving work in Cambodia through monthly updates.
“He’s very much an honorary member of the team now and after watching him on the frontline for a year, we’re all real fans and full of admiration. There’s real affection for our little hero.”
Since four-year-old Ronin took up the task in SCAA’s name a year ago, he has identified 36 landmines, three pieces of unexploded ordnance and cleared nearly 60,000 square metres of land.
APOPO trains African-born rats to sniff out explosives and their light weight keeps them safe while walking the minefields.
“Every month APOPO sends us an update on Ronin’s achievements which we pass on to the crews at our Aberdeen and Perth bases,” said Kathryn.
“We’re told he doesn't need a lot of specialised care and works for food rewards, rather than being motivated by one person, so he can work with different handlers when necessary. Most importantly, he's too light to set off landmines, making it safe for him to walk over them. And because he's small, it's easy to take him to all the different places where he's needed.
“Cambodia remains one of the most mine-affected countries in the world and Ronin’s contribution makes everyone at SCAA feel very proud,” said Kathryn.
“We’ve sent him a SCAA pet bandana for Christmas so he can wear the tartan accessory and know he’s got a crew of airborne fans backing him here in Scotland.
“It’s great to have another lifesaver on the team,” said Kathryn. “And he’s a real hero too. Our crews often face challenging situations when they respond to emergencies, but they’ve never had to tiptoe through a minefield!”
