France is failing in its duty to protect the Great Hamster of Alsace, a cute fur-ball facing extinction with fewer than 200 remaining, the Advocate-General of Europe's top court said.

The European Commission brought the case, arguing that France has not applied European Union law covering protected species.

Picture above was taken in Hunawihr, eastern France, in a breeding centre dedicated to the reintroduction of the hamster.

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