Not a peep heard from baby chicken thieves

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 17 (UPI) -- Officials at a Swedish children's zoo are at a loss to explain who stole 23 baby chicks on two separate nights this week.

Gothenburg zoo officials told The Local on Wednesday that the sudden loss of the cute little animals from their enclosed home would likely prove detrimental to the zoo's young visitors.

"The children love them when they are small and sweet. It makes you very

cross and upset -- why do people do things like this," zookeeper Josefine Rees said.

The two crimes took place on consecutive nights at the zoo with 14 of the 2-week-old chicks vanishing initially and another nine quickly following suit.

Rees told The Local that the stolen chicks represented the most significant crime to ever take place at the children's zoo.

"There has been graffiti and broken plant pots and such like, but we've never had chickens stolen," she said.