A hamster was caught hitching a ride on a bus from Central to Sha Tin on Sunday morning, ending up in the custody of a Hong Kong animal welfare group.

The golden brown Syrian hamster was spotted by a passenger and is now being looked after by the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Photos and videos circulating online show the tiny passenger tucked into a corner on the KMB bus, seemingly overwhelmed by its surroundings.

It was later placed in a translucent plastic bag tied to a yellow handrail beside the bus driver’s seat, right next to a sign warning that anyone “impeding a bus captain wilfully may commit an offence”.

As the bus entered the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, the little rodent was seen clawing frantically at the plastic bag, which swung from side to side, in a bid for freedom.

The social media user who spotted and rescued the hamster said he found it on a KMB route 182 bus, travelling between the Central piers and Sha Tin’s Yu Chui Court, at around 10am.