Clever and furry culprits are outsmarting visitors at Great Blue Heron Provincial Park in Saskatchewan. Sonnet McGuire, the park’s manager situated about 50 kilometers north of Prince Albert, has been receiving reports of missing shoes since early July. Visitors have been discovering single shoes abandoned in bushes, along the roadside, and even at the boat launch. The perpetrators behind these incidents are a group of cunning foxes, displaying a penchant for footwear.
According to McGuire, there are five foxes roaming the campground, actively engaging in shoe theft this year. While this behavior is not new, the level of activity has notably increased. Initially, lost shoes were stored in the campground office, but due to the high volume, outdoor storage bins had to be utilized. McGuire mentioned that on a recent day, around 70 shoes were in the bin, estimating that over 100 shoes have passed through it this summer.
The situation has turned into a sort of scavenger hunt within the campground, with people stumbling upon misplaced shoes as they explore the area. McGuire recounted an incident where two foxes seemed to work together, with one acting as a lookout while the other snatched a shoe from a campsite before both fleeing.
Brenda Andres, a camper, shared her encounter with the sneaky foxes, witnessing one carrying a shoe across the road. She expressed her intention to keep her shoes indoors during her camping trip. On the other hand, cottager Rachelle Kelln finds the foxes’ antics amusing, considering it a “fun game.” She has discovered numerous shoes on her property and along the roadside, including various types like flip flops, Birkenstocks, and Adidas Sambas.
Kelln mentioned the panic surrounding expensive shoes like Adidas Sambas. Despite the inconvenience, she noted that people have been excited to retrieve their shoes. McGuire advised park visitors to store their shoes indoors to prevent further thefts by the mischievous foxes.
