Plane Grounded for 4 Days After More Than 130 Hamsters Escape from Cages

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of a hampster.Photo:Getty

Getty

A plane in Portugal was grounded for four days while airport staff searched for over 130 hamsters that ran loose after escaping from their cages.

According toThe Telegraph, the TAP Air Portugal plane arrived at the Ponta Delgada Airport on Sao Miguel Island on Wednesday, Nov. 13, after taking off from Lisbon with multiple animals, including hamsters, ferrets and caged birds, to be delivered to a pet store.

Portuguese newspaperCorreio da Manhãreports that the animals were accepted on their aircraft after reportedly being meant to be on an earlier flight and being denied entry due to the condition of their cages.

PEOPLE reached out to TAP Air Portugal for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Photo of TAP Air Portugal planes.PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty

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Stock image of a hamster.Getty

While it is unknown how the animals escaped, theAnimal Humane Societyrecommends that hamsters be kept “in a solid, bottom wire cage or an aquarium that has a wire mesh cover for ventilation.”

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The organization also recommends that the inside of their enclosure be lined with absorbent bedding, as hamsters tend to chew on things to keep their teeth from overgrowing.

source: people.com