Clog Mystery

[Khandro]

Mrs K. leaves a pair of clogs outside the back of the house, those wooden ones with a leather toe to slip into, (Dr. Scholl's). The rear is not realistically accessible to humans and the end of the garden leads to open countryside with woods beyond. This morning she discovered that one was missing; I know they were both there yesterday as I saw them myself. We have searched everywhere and it is not to be found.
She says she (thinks) she has heard of foxes taking shoes and wellies left outside. Could this be true, and why on earth would they do so, or does anyone have an alternative explanation please?

[mallyh]

yes a fox ran off with my sandal and neighbours have lost shoes ,they even walk into our bungalow .

[roopower]

Don't know about shoes, but a vixen used to run off with dishes of food we left out for hedgehog. A neighbour saw her pick it up, full of food and make off

[Khandro]

Interesting! Does anyone know what on earth a fox would do with a them? I've just thought about the sandal and the clog; perhaps if they are hungry enough they would eat the leather?

[Mamyalynne]

It's a very common thing apparently...


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-27710832

[Svejk]

have you looked on the stair for a little mouse?

[Robinia]

Oh yes, the foxes brought one of my old neighbours a trainer ...and the following day they brought the other one. I was hoping they'd bring me some Jimmy Choo's. :)
I've had gloves, balls and an assortment of toys dropped in my garden.

[Khandro]

Mamyalynne; Thanks for that link, quite amazing, and I think the mystery is solved, (though we are still sadly one clog down) and it appears that German foxes behave just like their Yorkshire cousins.

[Chipchopper]

Yep, its an instinctive thing with foxes, hereabouts they steal golf balls and bury then, thinking they are eggs, much to the annoyance of golfers.

Apparently hedgehogs will take cigarettes and eat them, if they get half a chance, hooked on the nicotine, I guess ?

[jakep]

Yes I have had my back step shoes taken around the garden by foxes.
My husband left a car window open one night. We were woken by two young foxes who had got into the car and were playing in the front garden with our dogs squeaky toys that they had stolen from the back. They had to go through the dog guard to get them.

[Negomi]

Foxes have left us used wet nappies they must have stolen from neighbours bins, once they dug up a plant and buried the nappy in the hole.

[Clanad]

Here, in the western U.S., we have the same problem with coyotes. A neighbor, (3 miles west) had a work boot 'stole' recently… said it wasn't the first. I think you're on the right track about the fox possibly eating the leather, although my neighbor surmises they like the 'salt' taste left from the human wearing the item.

Fortunately, our work dogs that live in the barn usually are less than friendly when performing greeting duties to the coyotes… One early morning not too long ago, heard a ruckus early in the morning and on arrival at the scene near the barn, one dog still had the errant coyote by the throat and another by a hind leg stretched tighter than a fiddle string… end of story, as they say.

[Khandro]

Postscript:
Mrs K. left the remaining clog outside where it previously stood hoping that the missing one might turn up, and wouldn't you guess? now that's gone too! :0(

[sandyRoe]

At least they've got the pair now. ☺

[mazie]

There's an idea for your Crocs sandy ;o)