34. Viennese hamsters and the interspecies politics of urban space

Abstract

I consider the interspecies political implications of Vienna, Austria’s urban-dwelling European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus). In July 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature updated the status of the European hamster on its Red List of Threatened Species to ‘critically endangered,’ warning that the species is likely to go extinct in the next 30 years. While anthropogenic factors are largely responsible for the current state of the species, the adaptability of these synanthropic hamsters has also led to a unique trajectory in their hope for survival; they have been successful as a liminal species inhabiting urban environments where they have also received prominent attention and protection. I look to the former disregard for their presence as laying the groundwork for closer contemporary ties between humans and hamsters in the city of Vienna. Through Val Plumwood’s intentional recognition stance, I propose that the interactions between humans and hamsters in Vienna exemplify the recognition of hamster agency and their political claim on space. The story of the Viennese hamsters also pushes against conventional narratives that often fail to account for the dependence of liminal animals on humans, and it emphasises a call toward not just protecting the abstract category of species, but also the unique relationships between hamsters, humans, and the urban environment of the city.