I have never seen more impudent animals. European hamsters are cheeky, brazen and shameless little beasts. They mainly steal crops from the fields, but they are also ready to dig a tunnel under your fence and prey on the staff stored in the backyard or plants in your orchard/garden. And they can do it 50 feet from you.
Last summer we caught 8 hamsters around our summer house within 2 weeks. Beautiful pe(s)ts! Also very fast and agile. And very brutal, too. Wanna lose your finger? Play with them! They fight back with unusual ferocity.
Yet, I didn`t hurt any because they are protected species here. Physically, I mean. All were released back into the fields, with the exception that I took them far from our house.