KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — A man who was caught on CCTV allegedly taking a hamster from a pet shop in Pasir Gudang, Johor, has returned the animal after footage of the incident went viral on social media.
According to Berita Harian, the hamster was brought back to the shop at about 2pm yesterday, with the man reportedly placing it inside a cage before leaving without speaking to staff or the shop owner.
A worker at the premises said staff only realised the hamster had been returned after checking CCTV footage.
“Yesterday, at 2pm, an individual came forward to return the animal by placing it inside a cage.
“We only became aware of it after reviewing the CCTV footage once the individual had left,” the employee was quoted as saying.
The incident had drawn attention online after footage circulated showing a man allegedly taking the hamster from the premises and placing it inside a sling bag while members of his family looked on.
The shop owner later issued a warning urging him to return the animal within a week.
Berita Harian reported that the man subsequently contacted the owner and claimed he had taken the hamster because shop employees had failed to attend to him.
He was also said to have admitted that his actions were wrong and apologised to the owner.
Lawyer N. Mariappan said members of the public should be aware that most business premises were now fitted with CCTV and that their actions could be recorded.
“Any unlawful act can be dealt with through the appropriate legal channels.
“Premises owners have the right to reclaim property that belongs to them,” he said.