Vietnam fears hamsters

Posted : 29-02-2008

The Vietnamese authorities have clamped down on imports of hamsters - the country's newest favourite pet.

Hamsters found being illegally imported into the south-east Asian country will be destroyed, according to a statement published by the Vietnamese animal health department earlier this week.

The authorities fear that a recent spike in hamster imports could spread diseases - which could result in the need to claim on a pet insurance policy - and damage crops, Earthtimes.org reports.

Vietnam's craze for the tiny pets - long-standing residents of UK classrooms - coincides with the Year of the Rat, which commenced February 7th.

The hamster - a member of the rodent family - has been enthusiastically adopted as a symbol of good luck by a Vietnamese public keen to mark their new year.

"This year is the Year of the Rat, and as hamsters are also members of the rat family, it is considered a lucky pet," explains Hanoi resident Nguyen Huu Hieu, according to the website.

A similar increase in the take-up of pet hamster ownership has been reported in China.

Please click here for more information on pet health insurance and a pet insurance online quote.

© Adfero Ltd

The views expressed within the article are entirely those of Adfero Ltd and are not those of BDML Connect Ltd