5 Abandoned Hamsters Found in A Drain Near Bukit Batok Nature Reserve; The Other 3 Found Under Concrete Slabs

Last Updated on 2021-09-11 , 2:15 pm

Hamsters may be irrevocably cute…

But they’re not almighty.

Relatively small and fragile, these little critters aren’t exactly able to fend for themselves in the event of a crisis.

Much less in a wet flowing drain in the dark.

5 Abandoned Hamsters Found in A Drain Near Bukit Batok Nature Reserve; The Other 3 Found Under Concrete Slabs

Unfortunately, the aforementioned piece wasn’t just a morbid example of things to come, but an actual event in reality.

Thankfully, however, the Hamster Society Singapore (HSS) was there to help.

On 8 September 2021, the volunteer-run organisation posted a video on their Facebook page, detailing a particularly nerve-wracking incident that had taken place on 5 September 2021.

In the 1:49 long video clip, we learn that HSS had received a tip from the member of the public, at around 11:00 pm that night.

According to the tip-off, there were around eight abandoned hamsters in a drain at Bukit Batok Nature park. They were of different colours, with some being dark-coloured, others being orange-coloured and a few being light brown in colour.

A team of volunteers swiftly headed down to the scene, where they encountered a worrying notion:

The drain was wet, and water was flowing downwards.

In the worst-case scenario, the hamsters may have already been swept away.

Despite the morbid thought in mind, and the pitch-black darkness at the time, the volunteers armed themselves with torches and gloves and set about combing the vast area.

After around an hour of searching, they managed to discover four. Two were located right at the end of the drain, while another two were allegedly holding on for dear life on a drain hole.

Any longer and a tragedy could have occurred.

With four recovered, only four remained to be discovered. And yet, the situation seemed bleak until some 30 minutes later, when a black hamster was discovered.

Five down, three to go.

Thankfully, the trio didn’t prove as hard to find. At around 12:15 am, the volunteers discovered them under the “least expected place”:

A large concrete slab.

Truly, the occasion called for good cheers and maybe a good sip of wine.

But here’s the thing; it wasn’t all good.

Despite the volunteers’ timely intervention, the hamsters are not entirely in good, working condition. Some of them sustained abrasions, cuts, and maybe even bites from predators.

In spite of the news, however, Netizens have praised the volunteers for their hard work.

“You guys are the heroes!!” one beamed. “Thank you for saving them on time.”

You can view the full post down below:

Illegal

It should be noted that the abandonment of an animal here in Singapore is illegal. 

For abandoning without a valid reason, one could incur a jail term of up to a year, a fine of up to S$10,000 or even both.

Repeat offenders could also get double the maximum penalty.

Hamsters Resting in Their Foster Homes

At the current moment, the hamsters are said to be resting in their various foster homes, and are being subjected to medical observations.

Meanwhile, prospective hamster owners are advised to do their due research before adopting a hamster.

Unwanted

Unfortunately, the aforementioned case isn’t a mere coincidence.

According to a Facebook post by Hamster Society Singapore (HSS) on 9 May 2021, there has been a “rapid increase of abandonment cases and surrender cases” since the start of 2021.

At least 71 hamsters have been rescued by HSS since the start of the year—of these 71 hamsters, 31 hamsters had been abandoned and another 40 had been surrendered.

When interviewed by Mothership, HSS raised three reasons behind the surge in unwanted hamsters.

The first was that buying hamsters as a “surprise gift” for family or friends was “very common”. The second was that people often impulsively buy hamsters without doing sufficient research, which results in the misconception that hamsters are “good starter pets” and are “easy and cheap to care for” due to their small size.

Another commonly overlooked fact is that hamsters are most active at night, which might result in owners quickly becoming bored of them.

The very last reason was that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had gotten hamsters to keep them company at home.

However, as predicted, when the work-from-home arrangement was slowly phased out at the start of the year, these hamsters were surrendered or abandoned as their owners could not commit the required time and effort to look after them.

HSS urged Singaporeans to stop impulse buying hamsters, reminding them that pet ownership is a lifetime commitment.

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Featured Image: Facebook (Hamster Society Singapore)