Man in Japan rescues lost hamster found wandering Osaka streets, brings it to the police station

A man in Japan has gone viral on social media after rescuing a stray hamster he found on the streets of Shimanouchi, Osaka.

Brought it to the police

In a post on X, the man said he spotted the hamster at around 9pm and intervened after the animal nearly got hit by a passing car.

He wrote: "I found a wild? hamster... And it was about to get run over by a car, so I rescued it."

He added that he planned to bring it to Minami Police Station.

A video he posted showed the hamster scurrying around the streets, hobbling over the drains along the road.

Another photo also showed it sitting inside a cardboard box with a blue cloth following its rescue.

The man noted that if no owner comes forward within a week, the hamster could be transferred to a local animal shelter, and urged followers to help spread the word.

As of the time of writing, his post has garnered 13.6 million views and 129,000 likes.

"If no owner is found, please call me."

The man provided updates in the comments section of his posts, saying he had already spoken to authorities and requested to be notified if no one claimed the hamster.

"I told them, 'If no owner is found, please call me.' I will take the animal in myself first and look for a reliable foster family who will care for this little one until the very end."

He also admitted growing attached to the hamster shortly after handing it over.

"I just delivered it (to the police) a little while ago, but it was so cute that I ended up getting a bit attached, and handing it over was seriously heartbreaking!!!"