Outdoors These 7 creatures are raging animal kleptomaniacs By Jackie Davis Published: December 8, 2022 Updated: March 26, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Torbjorn Helgesen/Shutterstock Red foxes Flip-flops, Crocs, running shoes, name a footwear—red foxes will steal them. A fox can amass a larger shoe collection than Imelda Marcos. Some experts believe it’s the smell that intrigues them. Unfortunately, foxes are fond of taking one shoe, not the full pair. Which is extra annoying. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Trevor Jones/Shutterstock Chipping sparrows This bird steals so much hair that its nickname is “the hair bird.” Chipping sparrows will rip fur from a sleeping dog or hair from a horse’s tail. They want the hair to line their nests. Not to keep in some kind of creepy collection like a serial killer. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By manfredxy/Shutterstock Bumblebees Okay, maybe this isn’t stealing—the bee is making up for a physical limitation. “Nectar robbing” occurs when a species of short-tongued bee wants the nectar, but physically can’t get at it by going inside the flower to reach the corolla. Instead, the bee bites a hole at the base of the flower. It’s considered “robbing” because the bee isn’t giving the flower anything in exchange—it’s not pollinating the flower. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Ansgar Meden/Shutterstock The Corvids Magpies, ravens, crows, and jays are all well-known for their thieving ways. The question isn’t “What will they steal?” it’s “What won’t they steal?” In 2016, “Canuck the Crow” (Google him) made worldwide headlines when he absconded with the murder weapon—a knife—from a crime scene in Vancouver. He dropped it eventually. Oh, and he wasn’t charged with tampering with a crime scene. Pfft, for some reason. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By SakSa/Shutterstock Dewdrop spiders These spiders are considered “kleptoparasitic.” They have the ability to spin their own webs, but they’d rather move into some other spider’s web, and then steal the prey that the spider traps. If that prey is largely small insects, the bigger spider might be okay with the situation—it wasn’t going to eat those bugs anyway—and let the freeloader stay. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Animalgraphy/Shutterstock Sperm whales These whales, found off both coasts of Canada, are famous for following fishing boats and snatching the catches from lines and nets. Which…props. That’s a pretty clever and efficient strategy. Work smarter, not harder, right? View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock Wolverines These scavengers will happily eat the corpses—including the bones—of a moose or deer taken down, and hidden, by a larger predator (a wolf, a bear). Maybe wolverines don’t think that digging up and stealing a dead body is really stealing. But it is. Consult your legal representation, wolverines. View in Fullscreen Related galleries Meet 12 of the hardest working critters in cottage country 5 old-timey (and completely absurd) beliefs about wildlife 6 frog species getting busy in late spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 These 7 creatures are raging animal kleptomaniacs Everyone knows that certain critters are master thieves. Racoons will steal your unsecured garbage and pet food; squirrels make it their business to get into your birdfeeders on the daily; and gulls will snatch food right out of your hands. But what about these other seven klepto critters? Related Story New research sheds light on fertilizer’s impact on bees Related Story Do you know these 5 wildlife myths? Related Story Cottage Q&A: Who is stealing my lightbulbs?