Canadian police had a fleeting encounter with a notorious bandit this week, before the suspect vanished into the woods with their loot: nearly an entire pack of hot dogs.
On May 11, a constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police spotted a red-haired fox with five or six full hot dogs in its mouth.
“Officers attended the area in search of a suspect described as having red hair, being short in stature, and wearing a thick coat,” the RCMP wrote in a fictionalized account on Instagram of the encounter. “After a brief investigation, the suspect was located attempting to conceal the evidence nearby.”
“The suspect was released without conditions – and a full belly!”
In reality, the constable saw the fox near Crowsnest Pass, then the animal fled into the woods.
“We’re hoping that people see it for what it was: a lighthearted story — something funny — to share with the public and, you know, something that hopefully will bring smiles to a few people,” Cpl. Mathew Howell told The Washington Post.
Social media users rallied to the fluffy-haired fox’s defense.
“He is innocent!!!” one Instagram user wrote. “Could have got those weiners anywhere!!!”
“Hey, it’s tough out here. I got kits to feed,” another said, using the name for fox cubs.
Red foxes breed early in the year, so the hotdogs very well could’ve ended up feeding a kit (or six).
Foxes are omnivores and opportunistic eaters, and have been known to steal human food left unattended.
This behavior may date back millennia.
An analysis of fossils suggests foxes may have been snacking on reindeer meat first hunted by humans as far back as about 40,000 years ago.
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