Thread by @laurelchor

Reporting live from the scene where the doomed, allegedly potentially Covid-infected hamsters live: 3 AFCD vans with staff in full hazmat, police officers (including plainclothes ones), police cordons, and camera crews.

The police have blocked off the hazard area and are telling people to cross the road and use the opposite sidewalk

Correction: 2 police vans, 2 AFCD vans (for 2,000 hamsters, though it’s unclear how many are in the shop)

I swear to god if I get asked for my press credentials for reporting on hamsters

Even the seats are covered with plastic in the AFCD vans

I actually feel bad for the AFCD staff. From personal experience, most people who end up working for them love nature and animals. They must hate this.

2 stores down a stall is selling “Large Fried Chicken” but less concern for those animals I guess

I’ve seen some shit on the streets of HK but I don’t think I can emotionally handle seeing hamster cages brought out one by one right now (though knowing the HK govt I’m sure they will be cloaked in cloth) so I might have to leave

was talking to a friend earlier about this and she was like, and they’re going after the boars too!! The feral cows are next!!

i just noticed this cartoon above the shop ok i might cry look at its stupid happy face

ok I’m leaving, RIP to the hamsters and all the other animals who needlessly die and suffer because of human stupidity

So since all hamsters bought after Dec 22 have to be turned in, hamster incubation periods are up to 5 weeks, and for humans it’s 3 weeks, unless you’re a government official, then it’s 2 weeks

I’m annoyed that I have to add “dumbass hamster cull” to the list of traumatic memories I have within a block of here, incl. “1st time I saw police fire teargas directly at journalists” & “1st time I saw police fire teargas while walking backwards into a van before speeding off”

also “1st time I had to duck to avoid teargas canisters bouncing off highway signs”. all on the same corner! a real walk down memory lane!

TVB reporting on the removal of 2000 hamsters from 34 shops for culling