Community fears fox chased by snowmobiles was killed; 2 witnesses say it was exhausted but alive
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SCHAEFFERSTOWN — Residents in this rural stretch of Lebanon County feared the worst after seeing appalling video of two snowmobile riders relentlessly chasing a fox, appearing to run it down several times.
But two witnesses interviewed Monday by PennLive — including a person who shot video that was provided to the Pennsylvania Game Commission — said the fox was left exhausted but alive.
Neither witness who separately saw the fox being chased Jan. 20 from their homes in the Linda Sue Gardens development in Heidelberg Township wished not to have their names published.
“Somebody said they hit it. But I saw it; they just chased it,” the first witness said. “If they would have hit it, I would have jumped out and raged on them.”
Wildlife officials in Pennsylvania are investigating after two individuals reportedly attempted to harm a red fox earlier this week in Lebanon County by repeatedly running it over with a snowmobile.
FULL STORY —> https://t.co/XPHwo4FjZp pic.twitter.com/iQzHroF1Q0— 6 News (@WJACTV) January 22, 2025
The game commission has been unclear about the fox’s fate. Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said she’s awaiting details from the commission to determine criminal charges against the two riders, ages 17 and 20, who turned themselves in Friday.
The person who shot video said her husband turned it over the same day to the game commission. It all began when her young son noticed the snowmobiles ripping across the farmer’s field in back of their house.
“My son saw the snowmobiles outside and thought that was really cool,” the second witness told PennLive. “So we sat in the window and watched them for a while.”
But what the mom and son witnessed wasn’t cool: The pair of snowmobile riders were relentlessly chasing a fox.
“I just saw an innocent fox, and I’m like, ‘I don’t think that’s right’.” So she grabbed her phone and began videotaping the chase.
Both witnesses said there were actually two foxes. One ran off early on in the chase. The second was chased to exhaustion, they said.
“The one ran,” the first witness told PennLive. “Those things have awesome reflexes, so they can dodge stuff. The other one was tired. Tongue hanging out, breathing heavy. Like, panting.”
That’s when the chase ended, the first witness said. “The one kid came behind, and the fox stopped. They didn’t run it over because it was stopped. It was defenseless, totally defenseless.”
“I saw it run off,” the second witness said of the exhausted fox. She added that one of the snowmobilers might have pursued it further. “I don’t know what happened then,” she said.
The rural community reacted strongly to the video. A local business organized a reward pool for tips that amassed more than $2,000 in donated funds. Bachleda Studios announced Monday the money would be returned since the pair of riders turned themselves in.
Many here feared the worst for the fox.
“I heard that it was run over, but I do not know,” said a woman as she packed groceries into her car at the Dutch Way supermarket and restaurant about a mile from where the chase occurred. “It’s not a good thing to run over a live fox with a snowmobile.”
Word the fox was killed circulated at local schools and churches, too, according to a worker at Good’s Store, located in the same shopping center.
“People are saying that they chased the fox and drove over it and killed it,” the sales associate said. “A lot of people think it got ran over and killed. That’s the story going around.”
Heidelberg Township resident Todd Snyder said video of the fox running for its life from the pair of snowmobile riders was appalling enough.
“I think it’s terrible, and I don’t think that’s common for people around here to be doing that,” he said. “That fox had no chance in an open field.”
Snyder credited the videographer who shot the footage with bringing the ugly episode to light.
“That’s just being a good community member,” he said.
Snyder also expressed appreciation for the two riders are owning up to their mistakes.
“I think it’s admirable that whoever did it turned themselves in,” he said.
Now, it’s up to the DA to send a message and “set a precedent” in the case, Snyder said.