Caught on cam: ‘Fox Whisperer,' fellow police officer free animal entangled in netting

What does the fox say to these Montgomery County police officers? You'd like to think it's thank you.

Police body camera footage shows Lansdale Borough police officers -- including a cop they call "The Fox Whisperer" -- rescuing a wild fox that got caught in some netting at a Catholic school over the weekend.

Lansdale police shared edited video of the Feb. 3, 2024, rescue outside Lansdale Catholic High School on its Facebook page.

"Sgt. Matthew 'The Fox Whisperer' Erbele and Ofc. James 'Steady Hands' Thompson arrived on location and set the fox free from the entanglement," the police department wrote.

"The nylon was really deeply embedded into his leg," Eberle told NBC10's Deanna Durante.

"That's why I used my tactical animal voice for this operation, because I knew if I calmed the animal first, I'd be able to gain its trust and be able to free it without a bite," the police sergeant said.

"That's OK, it's OK," officer Erbele can be heard saying, his voice at times rising.

The duo continued to use scissors to cut the fox free.

After some time, the fox tries to make a dash for it, but is unable to as its tail remained entangled.

"You're all wrapped up," an officer says.

"There wasn't much anger in him towards us at all," Thompson said. "He was just letting us do what we had to do to get him free."

A few more snips and "there we go," the fox dashes off across the lawn. Before going off into the woods, the animal gives one last look back at the duo that freed it.

The video now lives on, somewhat to Erbele's "embarrassment."

"That's supposed to be my personal animal voice for talking to animals," Erbele said as Thompson chuckled. "But unfortunately now it's out there."

As Deanna points out it could have just been any old fox, but this fox found an aptly named spot to get caught. Lansdale was founded by its namesake Phillip Lansdale Fox.