(UPI) An RSPCA officer in Britain set up his phone to film an animal rescue, but a curious fox snatched the device and ran away with it while it was still recording.

Animal Rescue Officer Ben Fitzcosta said he responded to a wooded area in Bagshot on a report of a fox with an injured leg.

Fitzcosta located what he believed to be the injured fox and set up his phone to record video of the capture.

"There were actually two foxes in the woodland, someone called the RSPCA to report that one of them was injured," Fitzcosta said in an RSPCA news release. I set up my phone to film and as I was preparing to catch the fox with food and a grasper he ran up, sniffed the phone and ran off with it!

The video shows the fox setting the phone down under a nearby bush and giving it a sniff, managing to take a selfie video in the process.

Fitzcosta catches up to the animal and manages to get his phone back, saying: "I can't believe that just happened."

"It did make my day to be honest, the video is very funny. I'm glad I got my phone back -- I had to jog to catch up with him as I knew he'd dump it in a bush somewhere," Fitzcosta said.

The rescuer said he was then able to locate the second fox.

"I did find the injured fox and managed to rescue her, she is now being treated at Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue as she has an inflamed leg from an old injury. Hopefully she will make a full recovery," he said.

Copyright 2024 by United Press International