Clever and furry thieves are outsmarting campers and vacationers at Great Blue Heron Provincial Park, located approximately 50 kilometers north of Prince Albert. Sonnet McGuire, the park manager, started receiving reports of missing shoes in early July. Visitors discovered individual shoes abandoned in bushes, along the road, and even at the boat launch. The culprits behind these incidents are a group, also known as a skulk, of cunning foxes with a penchant for footwear.
McGuire mentioned that there are five foxes roaming the campground, displaying a keen interest in stealing people’s shoes. While this behavior is not new, the frequency of thefts has notably increased this year. Initially, lost shoes were stored in the campground office, but due to the growing number, outdoor storage bins had to be utilized to accommodate the surplus footwear items.
On a recent day, McGuire revealed that around 70 shoes were in the storage bin, estimating that over 100 shoes have circulated through it this summer. The campground has turned into a scavenger hunt as visitors stumble upon misplaced shoes while exploring the area. An amusing incident involved witnesses observing a pair of foxes collaborating to snatch a shoe from a campsite, with one acting as a lookout while the other executed the theft.
One camper, Brenda Andres, shared her encounter with the mischievous foxes, witnessing one carrying a shoe in its mouth. She has decided to keep her shoes indoors during her camping trip to prevent them from being targeted. In a neighboring area near Emma Lake, cottager Rachelle Kelln expressed amusement at the foxes’ activities, viewing it as a playful game. Kelln has discovered multiple shoes on her property and by the roadside, including various types like flip flops, Birkenstocks, and Adidas Sambas.
Despite the inconvenience, Kelln mentioned that those who have retrieved their stolen shoes were delighted to reclaim them. McGuire advised park visitors to safeguard their shoes indoors as the thieving foxes continue to roam freely.