Why would someone hid raw chicken in my potato patch?

[BunnyWave]

I am not the best gardener and I forgot to dig up my tatties last October. So I just thought I'd turn the soil over a bit and new tatties would grow from last years crop.

I noticed a plastic bag sticking out, it was only about 4" deep, so I pulled it out. It was a small, thin, clear bag. Inside was parchment paper and in that, chunks of raw chicken.

Myself and my neighbour A share a door from our stairwell to the garden. They have one side and I have the other, there is a path and beds that mark the boundary. The entire space is enclosed by a wall, it's about 6' round my side and over 7' round the neighbours. There are no gates, you have to go through the building to get out to the street. There are neighbours either side of us and at the back, there is a private business.

We are a veggie house and have never had chicken in our garden. Neighbour A is not veggie but has a small dog that runs around the whole space. They were in the garden when I dug up the bag and were as confused as me.

So I thought I'd ask the hive mind here, why would someone climb over a 6' wall to bury chicken in my tatties?

Uh, my autocorrect changed hide to hid.

A dog?

It’s got to be an animal surely? A fox who’s raided a bin? I’m not sure if foxes bury food for later but can’t think a person would do this. Trying to think of other possible animal culprits now.....

The dog’s nicked it and buried the evidence.

I’ve googled, foxes do bury food caches to return to later. They can easily jump a 6ft wall.

My mum once found a whole block of (unwrapped) lard buried in her garden. I think they concluded it was a fox.

Apparently foxes sometimes bury things, we found an egg once.

It is explained about half way down this page: www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/urban-fox

Maybe the fox was hoping for chicken and potato pie?

Yeah, like pp's have said I have an allotment and often find random things like bones (animal hopefully!) It'll be an animal like a fox, cat, dog, rat or even a bird like a seagull or a crow.

The dog is tiny, and yes she does bury things, but not that deep, she puts her treats under leaves. Also my neighbour is always out with her and it would take a long time for those tiny legs to dig a hole that deep and then fill it in without the neighbour noticing.
Also neighbour said she doesn't buy chicken from butcher and doesn't use those kitchen bags.

I guess a fox is possible, but it would have to jump a few very high walls to get to my garden. We live at in the city and plenty of foxes around.

My garden is surrounded by 6ft fences and often see foxes in the garden

@bruffin

My garden is surrounded by 6ft fences and often see foxes in the garden

Same here. Plus they get under things quite well too.

I've never seen a fox in my garden, but that seems to be the most likely answer.

@bruffin

My garden is surrounded by 6ft fences and often see foxes in the garden

Me too, it drives my dogs mad.

I reckon a fox. I saw a fox balancing itself on the top of my 6 foot fence once. So it clearly is possible.

Thank you all for the replies.

I would never have guessed a fox because of the height of the walls, I did not know that foxes could jump that high. New facts are always a welcome thing.

I was beginning to suspect one of the other neighbours had tried to poison my neighbours dog. But there are much easier ways that putting meat wrapped in two layers under 4" of soil.

There is a huge communal garden, 3 walls over that has a small wooded area and old sheds. Probably a good home for a fox.

We had a family of foxes that used to bury chicken all over. Always raw bits of stolen chicken.

I found a solidified egg in one of my window boxes last year when I was putting in some new plants. No idea how it got there. There isn't room for a fox on the window ledge and whilst it could conceivably have been a squirrel, the soil was undisturbed.

I left it to put in the bin later, then forgot about it. When I was next in the garden again, it had gone.

yes to foxes.
we found lots of bones (neighbours were feeding them) and once a whole sheep ribcage!

anywhere a cat can go a fox can go! fences are not really an issue for them at all.

@TheNestedIf

I found a solidified egg in one of my window boxes last year when I was putting in some new plants. No idea how it got there. There isn't room for a fox on the window ledge and whilst it could conceivably have been a squirrel, the soil was undisturbed.

I left it to put in the bin later, then forgot about it. When I was next in the garden again, it had gone.

That's quite creepy.

We used to get squirrels in our old garden. They would lift out newly planted young plants and put things underneath. Would squirrels eat eggs?

A voodoo curse!

Have you ever blocked a neighbour’s driveway? 😀

A fox was my first thought. They are very nimble so it wouldn’t surprise me if it got into your garden.