Sly foxes pull off familiar heist in Delaware County neighborhood

MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A skulk of thieving bandits is hitting a Delaware County neighborhood once again. Though, this time, neighbors have a cunning plan of their own.

Once shoes, sports equipment and newspapers started disappearing from porches and yards around Media late last month, some neighbors knew immediately what was going on. The foxes were back to the their sly scheme.

"Back again," said Tom Acquarola whose yard, for the second year in a row, is the foxes' dumping ground.

"Few pairs in, few pairs reunited with their owners," he said of the personal items that are scattered around his yard each morning.

SEE ALSO: Thieving foxes swipe shoes, newspapers from porches in Media, Delaware County

"Here's the Wall Street Journal," he said rifling through the stack of newspapers.

Rather than be an accomplice to the crime, he and his wife post in a Facebook group to help reunite the stolen goods.

"I immediately start scanning and I see two familiar shoes," said Dianne Laden, who lives about five blocks away from the Acquarolas.

She says her family always leaves their shoes on the front porch.

"Between eight and 10, not pairs of shoes, but individual shoes. We did get one full set back so that was a huge win," she said.

Wildlife experts say to the cub, this is all just a clever game.

"I'm suspecting that's kind of what's going on in your yard, you have a couple of foxes that are just being goofy and they're choosing to play with your toys instead of their own," said Leah Stallings, the executive director of AARK Wildlife.

She added that late spring and summer is baby season and while mom and dad are out hunting, the cubs are having fun.

"Foxes have discovered that humans just aren't a problem, so they're not afraid to be in close proximity to humans because they don't really see us as dangerous," she said.

She said the best course of action is to leave the foxes alone. They are scared of people and won't pose a threat.

She also said there are some benefits to have foxes in the neighborhood, their primary source of food is mice.