Ngakonui Valley School delight as kitten appears after losing loved rooster

A school whose pet rooster Tama died tragically has received a "new miracle".

Ngakonui Valley School was rocked by Tama's death after a group of people at an out-of-control party tortured him by throwing him into a van, hitting him with beer bottles and stuffing him into a plastic bag filled with glass in November 2017.

But now the school's young students have been given the ultimate yet unexplainable gift when a pet kitten suddenly appeared at school on Friday.

Ngakonui Valley School's new pet Sammy plays with Micheal Houpapa-Edwards (L), Cade Jones (C), and Connor van Rooyen (R). Photo / Maria Gillard / Ngakonui Valley School

Principal Maria Gillard told the Herald it must be fate.

"Amazingly a pet has appeared. I'm not sure how but Friday night I was working late and I heard a meow sound.

"I thought nothing of it, then Monday evening when staff were preparing for the return to school we heard a meowing sound again, so we tracked it.

"There was a kitten stuck behind our photocopier.

Micheal Houpapa-Edwards (L), Cade Jones (C), and Connor van Rooyen (R) play with the school's new pet Sammy the kitten. Photo / Maria Gillard Ngakonui Valley School

"We don't know how it got there, but the boy who named and fell in love with our late rooster Tama has now fallen in love with the little grey kitten.

"He's named it Sammy. It's a miracle really."

Many of the students struggled to come to terms with Tama's death, with the school having to break the news to the students in assembly.

Tama would often eat from the students' hands and let them pat him during class time. Photo / Supplied

"We had to explain to them that some bad people had hurt Tama. There were a lot of tears."

But Gillard said the school's new fluffy pet has lifted spirits around the playground and given the children something to smile about.

"The kitten is in our staffroom eating and is part of the furniture.

"We're so pleased to find a new school pet for the kids after losing Tama."