The thief lifted a crate of meat from a delivery van outside the shopping center and then began selling it to passers-by. He had no way of knowing that the contents included rat and mouse meat intended to feed snakes at Bergen's famous Aquarium.

The illegal sales stopped quickly and mall guards warned police about the unusual heist.

The crate contained about 100 rats and 30 mice before the theft. Police told said that many of them were missing afterwards, according to the website of the local newspaper Bergens Tidende.

"We don't know exactly how many are missing, but there are enough - mostly rats - missing to make a 'good' dinner," said Fyllingsdalen precinct captain Bjørn Eide.

None of the rat meat customers have come forward to make a complaint.