School Finally Busts Thief, and It’s a Cat

A year-long string of odd disappearances at Apanui School has finally been solved—and the culprit turned out to have four paws and a tail.

Staff at the school in Whakatane had been scratching their heads as single shoes, swim goggles, towels, and even underwear mysteriously vanished from the grounds. According to coverage from UPI, the odd pattern went on for more than a year before the truth came to light.

Principal Marama Stewart told Stuff.co.nz that suspicions grew when a pair of swimming trunks and a towel disappeared. Security footage was checked, and there, caught in the act, was a black cat dragging the towel across the playground. A search soon revealed a surprising stash of stolen items hidden behind the PE shed.

The school’s groundskeeper located the cat’s owner, who admitted the pet has a well-known habit of swiping objects from nearby areas and said steps would be taken to keep the feline from roaming so freely.

In the meantime, the school has affectionately nicknamed the mischievous animal “Slinky Malinki,” after the thieving cat from a beloved New Zealand children’s story. Stewart says the unusual episode is likely to inspire plenty of creative writing from students in the future.