10/02/2006

Furry Rodent Sparks Security Scare

Escaped Hamster Grounds Austrian Plane

Hamsters can make good pets but are troublesome airline passengers. One of the furry sharp-toothed rodents escaped from its owner on an Austrian plane and forced the airline to abandon the flight.

Cute but not welcome on planes: the common hamster.

A runaway hamster grounded an Austrian passenger after it escaped from its owner who had smuggled the tiny furry sharp-toothed pet on board, forcing the airline to abandon a flight and transport the passengers to their destination by bus.

The incident happened on Friday on an Austrian Airlines jet from Palma de Mallorca to the Austrian city of Graz. Hamsters and other rodents aren't allowed on aircraft because they like to gnaw through wiring, which can be dangerous at 30,000 feet.

The male passenger smuggled the hamster on board and reported his pet missing shortly after the plane had made a scheduled stop in the Austrian city of Innsbruck, a spokesman for the airline said, according to Die Presse newspaper.

All passengers had to get off the plane and buses were laid on for the last leg of the trip. A replacement aircraft had to be found to fly back to Palma. "The aircraft can't depart for security reasons," the spokeswoman said. It was not immediately clear if the hamster is still at large.

cro/die presse/ap

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