How to Make the Tanuki Steal Fruit in Grow a Garden

Many players wonder if the new Tanuki pet can steal fruit like the Raccoon. In this guide, we’ll cover how to get a Tanuki, what people say about its stealing ability, and the current evidence—so you know whether to trust the rumors. Also check out our Grow a Garden Codes and Grow a Garden Banned Pets!

How to Get a Tanuki

The Tanuki comes from the Zen Egg. You have two main ways to score one:

1. Buy Zen Eggs in the Shop

• Head to the Zen Shop and spend 30 Chi per egg.
• The shop restocks every hour, so keep an eye out.

2. Level Up Your Zen Tree

• Earn Zen Egg prizes by gaining XP on your Zen Tree.
• Check back often; each level gives a chance at more eggs.

Once you have a Zen Egg, there’s about a 21% hatch rate for a Tanuki. That’s much higher than Raccoons were when they first appeared—so getting a Tanuki is fairly straightforward if you farm enough eggs.

Can the Tanuki Really Steal Fruit?

Rumor has it that the Tanuki can swipe fruit from other players’ gardens, just like the Raccoon. Here’s what we know so far:

• No Solid Proof Yet We’ve tested the Tanuki in multiple gardens but haven’t caught it stealing any fruit.
• Player Claims Some users report seeing a stolen fruit icon appear, but nobody’s shared clear video or screenshots.
• Wiki Note Early wiki entries mentioned Tanuki stealing, but these notes may date from before the Zen Update’s final tweaks.

Until we see a developer confirmation or a recorded example of the Tanuki in action, the stealing feature stays in the rumor category.

How We’re Testing

To settle this, here’s our method:

1. Controlled Gardens We place a single ripe fruit in a private garden with only one Tanuki.
2. Observation Period We watch for at least 30 minutes, checking for any stolen-fruit alerts or missing crops.
3. Multiple Trials We repeat across different servers and at different times of day, to rule out chance.

So far, every trial shows the Tanuki calmly roaming—no fruit theft.

Right now, the Tanuki’s stealing power seems to be more myth than fact. If you’re hunting for a fruit-thief pet, the Raccoon is still your best choice when it’s in rotation. That said, the Tanuki has its own charm and useful Zen-related perks, so it’s still a solid pickup if you hatch one. We’ll keep testing and update this Grow a Garden guide the moment we find proof of any new abilities. In the meantime, enjoy your Zen Egg hatches, and happy gardening!