Shoe-Loving Fox Torments Ruhnu Residents
Residents of the island of Ruhnu have been keeping an eye out for a peculiar fox who for the past several weeks has been sneaking door-to-door, stealing anything it can get its paws on, particularly shoes.
According to islander Kaarel Lauk, a Swedish-born resident recently lost a pair of boots. "The guy suspected that the islanders were thieves. We, however, calmed him down and told him that it was the work of the fox," Lauk told Meie Maa.
The creature has become so bold that at one point it even slipped through the open door of the Ruhnu border station, climbed the stairs to the second floor and started pilfering shoes. The border guards weren't left working bare feet, however, as the culprit didn't carry the shoes further than the building's front yard, said Rainer Sosi, head of the station.
The rural municipality's elder, Aare Sünter, was also victimized by the shoe-loving creature, but was fortunate enough to find his stolen belongings in the nearby forest. According to Sünter, it is not yet clear whether all the problems are actually being caused by the same animal because there are at least 20 foxes inhabiting the island.
Ingrid Teesalu