Japan: Man arrested for killing dozens of hamsters

A 36-year-old man, an employee at a school in Iwate Prefecture, has been arrested in Japan for the killing of approximately 30 hamsters in March. The incidents reportedly took place in “love hotels,” which are short-stay establishments for couples.

Police in Miyako stated that the suspect acted with the complicity of a 20-year-old woman during the March incident. Investigators recovered videos of the killings and messages from the suspect's phone, including one exchange asking, “Where shall we go to kill the hamsters and have fun?”

The suspect was previously detained in July for a separate incident in February involving the killing of approximately 20 rodents, allegedly aided by a 19-year-old woman. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine if the man is responsible for any other similar acts of animal cruelty.