Plane grounded for four days when 132 hamsters escape on board

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A plane was grounded for four days at a Portuguese airport when 132 hamsters escaped from boxes in the cargo hold.

The TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada Airport featured a full contingent of passengers as well as hamsters, ferrets and birds en route to a pet store.

The flight ended up grounded in Ponta Delgada when 132 hamsters were found to have escaped into the cargo hold. Officials said the plane was kept at the airport for safety reasons, as the hamsters could pose a risk to the plane's electrical wires.

Workers spent four days scouring the plane for loose rodents and the Airbus A320 finally returned to Lisbon on Sunday.