PLAISTOW — Workers at Zoo Creatures are on the lookout for a 9-week-old Australian sugar glider after they say a thief stuffed the small animal into his pocket and slid quietly out a side door.

The sugar glider, which is valued at $300 and looks like a miniature flying squirrel, had just arrived at the store Monday and was placed in a bird cage, but it disappeared Wednesday when a man stole it and sped off in a yellow BMW, said Dan Bilodeau, manager of the pet store on Route 125.

Bilodeau said the man entered the store around 3 p.m. and walked over to the cage. Moments later he took off, but Bilodeau wasn't aware of the animal's disappearance until a customer came in and asked to see the sugar glider.

“We went to show him and we noticed it was missing,” Bilodeau said.

At that point, Bilodeau said the store's video surveillance cameras were checked and showed the man stealing the animal, but by that time he was long gone.

Bilodeau said the store occasionally sells Australian sugar gliders and this one had arrived Monday and was supposed to be sold to a specific customer.

He said the animal is friendly, as it was hand-raised.

“If this thing were a little mean, he would have had his hands full,” Bilodeau said.

Police were notified of the theft and are awaiting images from the surveillance cameras.

Bilodeau described the suspect as a Hispanic man, approximately 250 pounds, with long hair on one side and shaved on the other.

“I've seen him in here a couple of times before,” Bilodeau said. “Hopefully we'll catch this guy and get the animal back.”

To help them catch future thieves, Bilodeau said the store plans to add cameras that will be able to capture license plate numbers.

jschreiber@newstote.com