Japanese authorities have arrested a 36-year-old school worker in connection with the alleged killing of approximately 50 hamsters. The suspect is accused of carrying out the acts at love hotels, short-stay accommodations, with two women, aged 19 and 20, who have also been arrested on suspicion of violating animal protection laws.
According to Miyako city police, the man was arrested on Monday for the alleged gratuitous killings of around 30 hamsters in late March, an act he is believed to have committed with the 20-year-old woman. This follows a prior arrest in July, when he was detained for allegedly killing approximately 20 hamsters in February with the 19-year-old woman.
Investigators discovered videos of the alleged killings on the main suspect's confiscated smartphone. Messages allegedly found on the device indicate the man and the 20-year-old woman were planning one of the attacks. One message quoted by a police official read, "Where are we going to kill the hamsters and have fun?"
Police are continuing their investigation to determine if the suspect may have been involved in other similar incidents. The case has emerged amidst a significant increase in recorded animal abuse cases in Japan.
In 2023, Japanese police documented a record 181 cases involving suspected violations of animal welfare laws, according to data from the National Police Agency. This represents an increase of 15 cases from the previous year and is more than five times the 33 cases recorded in 2010, the first year for which comparable records were kept. The number of arrests or referrals to prosecutors for suspected violations of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals also reached a record high in 2023, exceeding 200 for the first time.
The National Police Agency attributes the rise in reported cases to increased public awareness of animal welfare and a greater number of reports from citizens. In 2023, 118 cases came to light following reports from residents or other third parties, an increase of 27 from the previous year.