Police thought a shoe thief was on the loose at a kindergarten in southwestern Japan, until a security camera caught the furry culprit in action.
TOKYO (AP) — A peculiar mystery baffled a kindergarten in Fukuoka, Japan, as children’s indoor shoes kept disappearing without explanation. Initially, authorities suspected a thief, but surveillance cameras revealed an unexpected culprit — a mischievous weasel.
After 15 shoes went missing, with six more vanishing the next day, the kindergarten called police for help. Concerned parents and teachers feared the culprit might be a disturbed individual with unusual motives. However, the security footage told a different story: a small weasel scurrying away with a child’s shoe clamped in its mouth.
“It’s great it turned out not to be a human being,” said Deputy Police Chief Hiroaki Inada.
In Japanese culture, it’s common to remove shoes before entering homes and classrooms. The stolen items were light, canvas slip-ons used indoors and stored near the door — the perfect target for the tiny thief.
Weasels are known for their habit of stashing items, a behavior familiar to those who keep them as pets. This particular weasel seemed to have a fondness for white shoes, possibly because they were easy to carry.
On November 11, the creature returned for one final heist, which was captured on camera.
“We were so relieved,” said Yoshihide Saito, the director of Gosho Kodomo-en kindergarten, speaking to RKB Mainichi Broadcasting.
The school has since reclaimed some of the stolen footwear, turning a puzzling and somewhat eerie mystery into a lighthearted tale of nature’s quirks.