A sculpture created in memory of “Tombili,” a portly cat who became a social media phenomenon after being photographed posing on a sidewalk in Istanbul’s Ziverbey neighborhood, has been stolen from the sidewalk, Kadıköy Municipality announced.
Twitter user Delal Arya first tweeted that the sculpture was not in its place, a month after it was inaugurated, sharing a picture showing the empty spot and the sculpture’s brass plaque.
After an outcry on social media, the Kadıköy Municipality said in a tweet that the sculpture had been stolen, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
The bronze sculpture was inaugurated on Oct. 4, World Animal Day, following a Change.org campaign demanding that the Kadıköy Municipality erect a commemorative sculpture of Tombili, who passed away in August after a month-long illness.
Sculptor Seval Şahin voluntarily erected the sculpture demonstrating Tombili’s iconic pose on the sidewalk.
