Hamster killer: Japan man arrested twice over deaths of 50 furry creatures

File picture of hamster for illustration purposes only. Police in Japan said Tuesday they had arrested a man over the killing of 30 hamsters at a hotel, weeks after he was detained for stomping to death 20 others. — Pexels.com pic

First Published: Tuesday, 01 Sep 2026 5:09 PM MYT

TOKYO, Sept 1 — Police in Japan said Tuesday they had arrested a man over the killing of 30 hamsters at a hotel, weeks after he was detained for stomping to death 20 others.

The 36-year-old high school staffer in the northern region of Iwate teamed up with two different women at so-called “love hotels” — short-stay lodging meant for couples — where he allegedly massacred hamsters in a violation of animal protection laws, police told AFP.

The two women have also been arrested, said Hiroyuki Nasu, a senior police official in the city of Miyako, Iwate.

The main suspect’s arrest on Monday was for his “gratuitous killings” in late March of about 30 hamsters, carried out in collusion with a 20-year-old woman, Nasu told AFP.

The suspect’s smartphone confiscated by police contained videos filming the killings, as well as text messages with the woman that showed them plotting the act.

“Where are we going to kill the hamsters and have fun?” Nasu quoted one of the exchanged messages as saying.

The suspect was first detained in July for the separate killing in February of around 20 hamsters with a 19-year-old woman.

Police will continue to investigate the suspect and examine whether he may have committed other similar acts, the police official said. — AFP