Hamster Escape Grounds Plane for Five Days

A flight turned into an unexpected rodent rescue mission after 132 hamsters escaped during transit, causing chaos aboard a TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321neo.

The rodents, part of a pet store shipment, went rogue during a flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada in the Azores archipelago, leading to significant disruptions and grounding the plane indefinitely.

The chaos began when airport staff unloading the cargo discovered that the transport boxes meant to house the hamsters had been damaged, leaving the rodents free to roam the aircraft. The shipment also included ferrets and caged birds, which remained secure. However, the hamsters’ mass breakout set off a scramble to locate and recapture them.

Maintenance crews were immediately dispatched to search for the rodents, as their sharp teeth posed a serious threat to the aircraft’s electrical systems. Hamsters, like all rodents, gnaw continuously to manage their ever-growing teeth. Fears that the hamsters could chew through critical power cables prompted the airline to ground the plane until every last rodent could be accounted for.

While most of the 132 hamsters have been captured, 16 remain on the loose. This has kept the aircraft grounded, causing flight cancellations and delays. The plane has since undergone exhaustive checks to ensure no significant damage was done. Only after all the rodents are found will the aircraft be deemed safe to fly again.

Social media has embraced the bizarre incident, with the hashtag #HamstersOnAPlane gaining traction globally.