In this clip from the BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, narrated by David Attenborough, a male European hamster roams a graveyard in Vienna in search of flowers – with some mishaps along the way.
But if you thought that the hamster in question might be in search of decomposing bodies, fear not – it’s not nearly as gruesome. In fact, around 80 per cent of a wild hamster’s diet is vegetarian (mainly seeds, roots and tubers).
But in Vienna, they’ve found an unlikely haven in city graveyards. It’s no wonder, really – quiet grounds free from urban traffic, where the rodents can forage for grass, nuts and fresh flowers left on graves.
In this BBC clip, the adorable rodent, with its bulging cheeks and scurrying feet, is doing exactly that. It starts by munching on some flowers, before moving on to a surprising dessert – candle wax, which is full of oil and high in calories. It’ll help the hamster build up fat for winter.
“A hamster’s cheeks can hold a quarter of its body weight,” narrates Attenborough.
And the little rodent is certainly getting there – but distracted by the delicious contents of the candle, it falls off the grave and into the grass. Going in for one more mouthful, the hamster gets stuck in the candle.
“Big cheeks and narrow bottlenecks – how very embarrassing,” says Attenborough.
After a bit of wiggling, the rodent is out. Mission accomplished.
Top image credit: Ulrich Sekotill/Getty Images
