Hong Kong has ordered a mass cull of hamsters after 11 animals at a pet shop tested positive for coronavirus.
Scientists and veterinary authorities have stressed there is no evidence that animals play a major role in transmitting the virus to humans.
But Hong Kong officials are taking no chances in their pursuit for zero-Covid after a series of Delta infections were linked back to a worker at Little Boss pet shop.
Hundreds of samples were collected from animals at the shop, including rabbits and chinchillas, but only the hamsters had traces of Covid.
It sparked the mass cull of around 2,000 hamsters, with officers in hazmat suits sent to 34 pet shops across the city.
Anyone who bought a hamster after December 22, potentially as presents for Christmas, have also been told to hand them over for the cull.
Orders to ‘not kiss or abandon’ hamsters were also issued as animal welfare groups scramble to adopt unwanted pets cast aside by their owners.
Dozens of pet shops were closed while imports and sales of small mammals were suspended.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) urged owners not to ‘panic’ and shared ways to maintain strict hygiene with their pets.
‘Never kiss your pets,’ the SPCA said in a statement. ‘Do not cough or snort at your pets.
‘If you have symptoms of Covid-19, you should keep your distance from animals,’ it added, stressing owners should always wash their hands after handling animals.
Hamster concern group, Life on Palm, said it had received around 100 inquiries from concerned owners.
Health Secretary Sophia Chan justified the shocking measure, saying they could not rule out any possibility for transmission.
The Hong Kong government said it has set up a hotline for enquiries, while some 150 of the pet shop’s customers were sent into quarantine.
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