What's happened
A weasel has been stealing shoes from a kindergarten in Fukuoka, Japan, leading to confusion among staff and parents. Security cameras revealed the furry thief, which took 15 shoes before being caught on video. The incident has sparked relief and laughter among the children and staff, who have since secured the remaining shoes.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, the weasel was caught on camera after stealing shoes from the Gosho Kodomo-en kindergarten, with Deputy Police Chief Hiroaki Inada expressing relief that the culprit was not human. The Guardian noted that the kindergarten staff were initially perplexed by the thefts, which involved single shoes rather than pairs. The incident has sparked laughter among the children, as reported by RKB Mainichi Broadcasting, highlighting the lighter side of an unusual situation. The AP News article emphasized the weasel's behavior, suggesting it may have been using the shoes to line its nest for winter, further illustrating the intersection of wildlife and urban life.
How we got here
The shoe thefts began earlier this month at Gosho Kodomo-en kindergarten, where staff noticed single shoes disappearing from cubbyholes. After multiple reports, police installed security cameras to identify the culprit.
More on these topics
-
Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, situated on the northern shore of the Japanese island of Kyushu. It is the most populous city on the island, followed by Kitakyushu. It is the largest city and metropolitan area west of Keihanshin. The ci
-
Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.