132 hamsters escape cages in Portugal plane cargo hold, staff took 4 days to find them all

Ever watched "Snakes on a Plane"?

Wait til you hear of the cutesy remake —"Hamsters on a Plane".

A TAP Air Portugal passenger flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada Airport got just that when 132 hamsters escaped within the cargo hold on Nov. 13.

The flight was grounded for four days while staff scoured the plane for the loose rodents.

Flight grounded for four days

Portuguese news outlets reported that baggage handlers noticed damaged cages after the plane landed and saw the hamsters were running free in the cargo hold.

The plane had to be grounded for safety reasons.

Apart from the passengers and hamsters, the plane also carried ferrets and caged birds, according to Correio da Manhã and Observador.

The animals were part of a delivery intended for a pet shop.

Photos published by Correio da Manhã also showed hamsters being pulled out of what appeared to be the plane's infrastructure.

Aircraft Grounded For Five Days After Over 130 Hamsters In The Cargo Hold Managed To Escape Their Cages During The Flight - https://t.co/sMS10grtdn pic.twitter.com/qYdQtYjm4s

— Emmanuel Mmadukaego (@Emmanuelsblog1) November 19, 2024

The remaining 16 hamsters were caught on Nov. 17.

The plane returned to the company's operational base in Lisbon on the same day to undergo a more in-depth inspection, as reported by Correio da Manhã.

Data captured by flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed TAP Air Portugal flight TP9260 flying from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon on Nov. 17.

The plane safely landed in Lisbon at 1:27pm.

Top image via TAP Air Portugal/Facebook and Canva.