Aircraft Grounded After 130 Hamsters Flood Plane Mid-Flight.
An aircraft has reportedly been grounded for the past five days after more than 130 hamsters in the cargo hold escaped their cages mid-flight.
The incident began last Tuesday, Nov. 12, when the hamsters managed to break free during a flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores archipelago in Portugal.
Since then, maintenance workers have been attempting to capture the rodents, known for their penchant for chewing power cables. While 116 of the hamsters have been rounded up, 16 remain on the loose.
The discovery of the escaped animals was made by baggage handlers after the Airbus 320 landed safely and passengers disembarked.
The cages carrying the hamsters had been damaged, resulting in 132 hamsters roaming the cargo hold. The animals were part of a shipment bound for a local pet shop and included other pets such as ferrets and birds.
The unexpected breakout has kept the plane grounded, delaying its scheduled return to Lisbon. Local media outlet Correio da Manhã reported that the search to find the remaining hamsters continued as of last night.
Sources revealed that the shipment had initially been rejected from an earlier flight due to the cages not meeting safety standards. TAP Air Portugal, the airline responsible for the flight, has not yet issued an official statement.
Photos shared by the newspaper show maintenance workers handling the recovered hamsters with protective gloves to avoid bites from their sharp teeth.
Efforts to track down the remaining hamsters are ongoing to ensure the aircraft’s safe return to service.
