The pesky little ‘korenwolf’, or wild hamster, has finally hit the headlines again after years of silence. Builders everywhere must have prayed that the rodent, a protected species, had actually died out.
The korenwolf (critecus critecus) and its partners in crime, the knatterjack toad and various newts, have been responsible for more delays in building projects than the competition authority has produced reports into price-fixing in the construction sector.
The Dutch korenwolf had almost become extinct. By 1999 the population was said to be down to its last 15. They were all captured and forced into a breeding project – along with a few ‘sex slaves’ from Germany and Belgium to stop them becoming too inbred.
Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam now reports that it has successfully bred 75 baby hamsters this year to add to the 400 it has already released since captive breeding was started. Limburg – the korenwolf’s traditional stronghold, now has 100 wild hamster nests, enthuses zoo director Ton Dorrresteijn.
The korenwolf looks just like every other Hammy the Hamster who runs around in his wheel in the corner of the classroom. And now he’s back in the public eye. So you know what you need to do if you want to stop a new factory being built in your back yard, don’t you?