Fantastic escape Mr Fox! Video shows cunning Arctic fox play dead after being caught in snare by hunters before making a run for freedom when they turn their backs

  • Arctic fox pulls off amazing life-saving trick to avoid Siberian hunters
  • The animal was caught in a snare trap and plays dead when trappers arrive
  • Once the wire is removed it springs to life and runs to safety
  • Amazed and amused hunters uploaded the footage to YouTube 

By Joseph Curtis For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

This is the amazing moment a fox uses all of its cunning to escape certain death at the hands of trappers.

The Arctic fox plays dead after being caught in a snare trap in what appears to be Siberia, Russia, and waits for a group of hunters to arrive and remove the wire around its body.

In a moment caught on video, once the seemingly-lifeless animal is placed in a cardboard box, it shocks its captors by bursting out and fleeing across the snow to safety. 

The video begins as one of the hunters untangles the snare trap from around the arctic fox's neck

The video begins as one of the hunters untangles the snare trap from around the arctic fox's neck

It then keeps its cunning trick of playing dead up as it appears to be lifeless as the hunter moves it into a box 

It then keeps its cunning trick of playing dead up as it appears to be lifeless as the hunter moves it into a box 

The fox completely fools the hunters and does not move a muscle, even when it is being manhandled by one of the trappers.

But they don't seem to be too angry at missing out on their prize, as they can be heard gasping and laughing at the creature's clever life-saving trick.

In another twist, once the fox reaches a safe distance it is joined by two others, suggesting they may even have followed the hunting party and waited for their furry friend to hatch its plan.

After the trappers let their guards down the fox makes a break for it and bursts out of the cardboard box

The hunters can only gasp and laugh as the white creature dashes to freedom and blends in to the background

The hunters can only gasp and laugh as the white creature dashes to freedom and blends in to the background

The near-death experience doesn't seem to take any toll on the animal, as it is then seen playing with its friends just seconds after the escape.

The footage was uploaded to YouTube and according to the description, written in Russian, the trappers were Yakuts, who are native to Siberia. 

It has been viewed thousands of times, with viewers praising the fox for its ingenuity in the comments section.

The fox then meets up with a friend at a safe distance, suggesting he may have been followed 

The fox then meets up with a friend at a safe distance, suggesting he may have been followed 

Deborah Hawes wrote: 'So beautiful that the fox escaped !!! All animals deserve life,' while others slammed the hunters for trapping it in the first place.

Others questioned how the hunters did not realise the fox was still alive and a user called 'NeoSanktum' said: 'How can you not feel the warmth and heartbeat?'

Arctic foxes are hunted for their high quality fur pelts, which can be sold for hundreds of pounds to make coats and accessories. 

It is not considered an endangered species worldwide, with several thousand in the wild, but there are some specific areas in which their numbers are dwindling due to hunting, particularly in Scandinavia. 

The fur ensures they stay warm in sub-zero temperatures and they can survive at -50C. 

Russia

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