Six much-loved pet lambs belonging to Kai Iwi School children were stolen at the weekend.
King Kong, Patches, Snowdrop, Little Kiwi, Bolt and Cocoa were snatched from their home in the school orchard behind the school hall.
Yesterday everyone knew as they arrived at school that something was wrong. It was way too quiet.
Every morning when they heard the children arriving, the lambs would start a loud, bleating chorus and rush to the gate for a head rub and back scratch.
Deputy head Jenny Foote said the orphaned lambs had been carefully nurtured since July, when they were just a day old, by the group of appointed children. The orphaned lambs were sponsored by companies who provided the funds for their feed and milk powder.