Fox caught on video swiping shoe, among many items taken from human neighbors

MEDIA, Pa. (WPVI) - The official start to summer is around the corner, which means mating season is in full swing for many animals, among them foxes.

Residents in one Pennsylvania town are dealing with mischief from some new fox pups.

Scavengers are scavenging once again, burrowing in backyards and pulling off familiar heists.

“Few pairs in, few pairs reunited with their owners,” said Tom Acquarola, who knows the foxes’ M.O. They chase shoes, baseball gloves and newspapers.

But rather than be an accomplice to their crimes, he and his wife are helping to reunite the stolen goods.

“I was just looking at my phone, and I popped onto Facebook. And I saw in one of my groups that someone found a whole bunch of shoes in their yard the night before and was posting pictures of the shoes,” Dianne Laden said.

She caught the culprit red-tailed and learned the identity of the swiper swiping her family’s shoes.

“I think we just need to keep our shoes inside,” Laden said, laughing.

Experts say it’s best to leave the cubs alone.

“Foxes are very curious and very playful and very smart. To them it’s a game,” said Leah Stallings, executive director of AARK Wildlife.

Late spring and summer is baby season, and while mom and dad are out hunting, the cubs are having fun.

“Foxes have discovered that humans just aren’t a problem, so they’re not afraid to be in close proximity to humans because they don’t really see us as dangerous,” Stallings aid.

As for Acquarola, he’s learned to share his yard. And in the last year, he’s perfected his answer to “What does the fox say?”

“Here it goes *screeches* ... something like that,” he said.

Experts said there are benefits to a fox in your yard. They’ll eat all the mice.

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