The Mystery of the Missing Shoes

Staff at a Japanese nursery school were puzzled when they arrived one morning to find more than a dozen indoor shoes missing from the cubbies. In Japanese schools, students and staff change into indoor shoes before entering the main building. This is a normal custom. But having shoes vanish overnight was not normal at all.

The mystery deepened the next day when even more shoes disappeared. Something strange was happening at the nursery school, and the staff needed answers.

Setting a Trap for the Culprit

Concerned about the ongoing theft, school authorities decided to take action. They set up surveillance cameras around the school to catch whoever was taking the shoes.

No one expected what the cameras would reveal.

The Furry Footwear Fanatic

When staff reviewed the security footage, they were shocked to discover the true thief - a weasel! The small animal was caught on camera carefully selecting white canvas shoes, possibly because they were the lightest to carry, and running off with them into the night.

The weasel showed very specific taste in its theft spree. It only wanted those white canvas shoes. By the time the animal was done, it had stolen 22 shoes in total.

A Cozy Wild Home

Weasels are known for collecting soft materials to create comfortable homes for themselves and their families. This particular weasel was likely gathering the shoes to build a cozy nest.

Although the stolen shoes were never found and returned to the school, the children weren't upset. In fact, they were delighted to learn that their missing footwear might be helping to keep a wild animal warm and comfortable.

A Happy Ending

The school now protects the shoe cubbies with netting overnight to prevent further theft. The investigation has been closed, even though the weasel remains at large.

The shoe-shopping weasel has become a favorite story at the nursery school. Sometimes unexpected visitors teach us the best lessons about sharing with our wild neighbors.