TAP Air Portugal’s airplane was grounded at the airport for 4 days simply because 132 hamsters managed to escape from their cages in the cargo hold.
According to reports from CBS, the Airbus A320 aircraft departed from Lisbon, the capital, heading to Ponta Delgada on November 13. Upon arrival, baggage handlers discovered that the cages containing the hamsters were damaged, allowing them to roam freely in the cargo hold.
The aircraft was carrying approximately 200 passengers and some animals destined for a pet store, including hamsters, ferrets, and birds. It is believed that apart from the hamsters, the other animals did not escape.
As a precautionary measure, the plane was grounded for 4 days as the escaped hamsters could potentially pose a threat to the aircraft’s wiring. Ground staff conducted searches in the cargo hold during this period to locate the fugitive hamsters, and the plane eventually flew back to Lisbon on November 18, where the airline’s maintenance center is located.
No passengers were onboard the aircraft during this flight. Ground staff performed a thorough safety inspection on the plane upon landing.
According to LiveScience, hamsters are small rodents commonly kept as pets. They are distinguished from other rodents by their short tails, short legs, and small ears.
Hamsters come in various colors, including black, grey, brown, white, yellow, red, or a mix of these colors.
There are up to 24 different species of hamsters, varying in size. The largest can grow up to 32 cm long, while the smallest are only 5.5 to 10.5 cm long. The most common species is the Syrian hamster, also known as the golden hamster, which typically grows to 15 cm long.
Hamsters are nocturnal animals, preferring to sleep during the day and being most active at night. In the wild, they dig burrows for shelter and breeding purposes.
Some species of hamsters are highly social, while others prefer to be solitary, such as the Syrian hamster. These hamsters should not be kept together in the same cage as they may fight and even kill each other.