Finding mice aboard a flight

Imagine being on a long flight, in pretty close quarters (it's a packed flight after all). You are dreading the confinement, the claustrophobic environment, and the odd passenger in the seat next to you; what could make it worse is if you find mice next to you. Well, such a story could really happen:

BEIJING - Eight baby mice were found aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington but tests showed they were free of dangerous viruses, the Chinese government said Thursday. The mice were found by a cleaning crew in Beijing after the flight arrived Sunday, according to the airline.
The mice were found in a pillowcase in a bin for unused pillows, said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based United. She said no passengers were on board at the time. "Our customers on this flight were always safe and unaware of the situation," Urbanski said.

Unaware is the correct word. If rats can breed aboard a flight, then one does not know about the safe part.