Rescuing Island Fox Data for the Future

When island foxes were dying on Santa Catalina Island in 1998, their bodies were sent to Dr. Linda Munsen at the University of California at Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation. Dr. Munsen was the first to uncover canine distemper virus as the cause of island fox deaths across the island.

When island fox bodies were found on the northern islands with distinctive puncture wounds. This physical evidence of golden eagle predation was kept for future reference at UC Davis. The individual island foxes that fell prey to golden eagles also provide a genetic snapshot of a population before it plummeted toward extinction.

Checking fox ear canal during health check

From chronicling the rise of cancer in Santa Catalina Island foxes to documenting the threats from parasites and rodenticides, the island fox specimens collected at UC Davis provide data on generations of island foxes and represent generations of work done by researchers uncovering health threats to this rare California species. 

Island fox blood samples

Jump to 2026 and we have a historically valuable collection of island fox biological specimens. Unfortunately, after the retirement of pathologist Dr. Leslie Woods and the untimely death last year of Dr. Munsen's protégé, researcher Dr. Patty Gaffney, this record of island fox health no longer has a home.  

 

Coming together, the island land managers and island fox research community are acting quickly to save this valuable biological resource. Friends of the Island Fox and the Santa Barbara Zoo have summited grant applications to help pay for the transportation of frozen island fox samples to a new location and a -80 freezer to hold the specimens. Land managers are searching through stretched budgets for any available funds. Grants are still pending, but we have to move the specimens NOW.

It is a $20,000 initial endeavor to secure these specimens for future generations of researchers.

Stay tuned for updates. 

FIF 2026 Research Grant Application

 

From genetics and territorial home range to dietary patterns and microplastics in the body, we are learning more every year about island fox biology, health, and the role they play in the island ecosystem.

Friends of the Island Fox is accepting applications for our 

 

2026 Island Fox Research Grant

Applications will be accepted for amounts up to $7,000

Deadline:   

Download Grant Application

 

How will you add to island fox science? 

 See past research grant recipient projects.

 

Fox Foto Friday - Sylvie Update

"Sylvie" at the Living Desert 3/8/26

This photo of "Sylvie" the San Nicolas Island fox was taken this month at the Living Desert Zoo. When we remember back to her foot injury as a young fox in 2023, it's amazing to see her run, jump, and climb!

 

This x-ray shows the compound fracture that could have cost her life. 

But school children, seniors, and people like you all rallied together to fund orthopedic surgery so she could live a protected, but long life. Find out more about Sylvie's Journey, her surgery, recovery and see video of her and the team of people that rescued her.

You can see Sylvie, too, at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. 

Without a community of friends, this little island fox would not have survived. 

Together we can solve problems and save species. 

Fox Foto Friday - Island Fox Status

photo courtesy of Megan Sarrail

Island foxes are a model of conservation success! 

In August of 2016, island foxes were removed from federal Endangered Species status on four islands. Over the past ten years, their survival has been monitored using radio tracking collars and annual health checks.

California's February-2026 issued "State and Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California" lists island foxes as a California State "Threatened" species on all islands.

Update 3/31/26: Island fox friend and retired member of the Island Fox Conservation Working Group, Dale Steele, clarifies "All subspecies of the Island Fox have been listed as "Threatened" [by California] since 1971. The recently published list of state and federal listed species is the most recent update including other recent petition decisions but did not change or add the Island Fox. 

Why are island foxes still considered "Threatened" when their numbers have recovered across the islands?  

While conservation efforts have been very successful, each island fox population is unique, small and limited to a single island. Looking forward all island foxes will continue to face a range of threats–from introduced disease to climate change and human impacts.

Immediate threats to island fox survival will change, but keeping an eye on this tiny canine's challenges and successes will help to keep them thriving into the future. Conservation is a process, not a checkbox. 

"Date with a Fox" on Island Fox Health Checks

 Join Friends of the Island Fox for:

 "Date with a Fox"

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

6:30 pm PT 

with Jessica Sanchez, DVM

Island Fox Health Checks: From Exam to Research 

• How are wild island foxes handled during annual health checks?
• What data determines a healthy island fox?
• What measures are taken to safeguard island fox health into the future?
•  How do island foxes contribute to ongoing research investigating their health, diet, and relationship to island ecology?

In this online Zoom program, FIF Board member and wildlife veterinarian Jessica Sanchez will take us through the steps of an island fox health check. She'll detail why each step is important and give the inside scoop on what a day performing health checks is really like. See the program video below:  

 

3 Kinds of Radio Tracking Collars to Monitor Island Foxes

Look who received a GPS tracking collar that you helped fund!

 

This young female island fox lives at the tip top of Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. The GPS collar she's wearing was refurbished with donations to Friends of the Island Fox. The movements of this fox, documented by her collar, will help tell the story of her life: Where and how large is her territory? What resources can she access? Combined with dietary info, it will reveal how she is interacting with the island ecosystem.

 

VHF Collars - The Original 

As island fox populations recovered from near extinction on four islands, individuals released back into the wild were collared with VHF radio-tracking collars to monitor their survival. (video of Senior Biologist for Channel Islands Park tells the story of island fox collapse of 1998–2000) VHF collars provide the location of an individual island fox at a specific moment. Biologists in the field are able to use hand-held antennae to triangulate the island fox's location. If a radio-collared island fox stops moving for 6–8 hours, the collar has a sensor that changes the signal from a "live-animal" beep to a possible "mortality" beep. This allows the quick retrieval of island fox bodies so the cause of death can be determined and steps can be taken to protect the island's entire island fox population.

In 2026, FIF's goal is to raise funds to refurbish 15 VHF radio collars for San Miguel Island. Cost to refurbish a VHF collar: $220  

 

GPS Collars - More Info/Bigger Price 

Initially, GPS tracking collars were too large for female island foxes to wear. Today, modern GPS and battery technology provides for a smaller collar with less weight that can be worn by both male and female island foxes. GPS vs VHF collars

GPS collars document an individual island fox's location several times a day for months to a year. This data can now be downloaded remotely to allow researchers to track movement patterns, territory size, and overlap with other collared individuals without having much of an impact on wild island fox behavior. These collars include VHF capabilities and sometimes have additional abilities, like accelerometers that document movement patterns over 24 hours. 

A new GPS collar for an island fox can cost $2400. GPS collars used in prior research projects for island foxes and San Joaquin kit foxes can be refurbished at a much reduced cost.

In 2026, FIF's goal is to raise funds to refurbish 12 GPS tracking collars for Santa Rosa Island. Cost to refurbish a GPS collar: $500

Island fox with new Digipeater collar in 2025

Digipeater Collars - New Technology and New Strategy

Digipeater collars include VHF capabilities, but they interact with a series of antennae stations. An island fox within signal view of the antennae is automatically check-in and reported as alive and well. Digipeater collars don't record precise movement like GPS collars, but they monitor island fox survival while reducing staffing hours in the field. More on digipeater collars and system

Sustainable monitoring of island fox survival requires reducing costs. FIF is assisting with the transition to monitoring island foxes on Santa Cruz Island with the Digipeater system.

FIF has already raised funds for 15 new Digipeater collars in 2026. Now our goal is to raise funds for 3 additional antennae stations ($2000 each). 

 

No matter the type of tracking collar, protecting island foxes requires monitoring! Tracking collars provide the best opportunity to monitor island foxes while they live their wild lives. 

FIF Research Grant Expands Investigation of Link Between Island Fox Genetics and Health

Friends of the Island Fox happily announces that the 2025 Research Grant was awarded to Kimberly Schoenberger to expand her investigation of connections between island fox genetics and health: Transcriptomics of the Channel Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) through RNA-seq.

Schoenberger is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California and works with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This second year of grant support will fund RNA genetic sequencing of an additional 40 foxes from across all six Channel Islands. 

The initial 48 island foxes were all adults who had never been vaccinated. (First year of study) This second group includes juveniles and adults that had been previously vaccinated.

Health checks have revealed that San Nicolas Island foxes have similar ear mite infestation to Catalina Island foxes, but the foxes on San Nic do not develop microbial monocultures or cancerous tumors in their ears. Genetically influenced immune-system response may offer insight into why some island populations face health threats that others do not. Similar ear mite infestation with reduced microbial diversity has been found on San Clemente Island and the population there has faced survival declines in the last three years. (More on microbiome and connection to cancer in Catalina Island fox).

Examination of an island fox's ear canal with an otoscope

Schoenberger's RNA research may also provide noninvasive ways to detect dangerous amounts of internal parasites in island foxes. Examination of immune transcriptomes in dogs has shown that  increases in specific interleukins signal the presence of intestinal worms. Currently island foxes are challenged by intestinal parasites, especially spirocerca on San Nicolas Island, an ancanthocephalin on San Miguel Island, and possibly a new parasite on Santa Rosa Island.

 

Researchers like Kimberly Schoenberger are vital to healthy island fox populations. Insight from her work will help inform land managers and protect island foxes into the future. 

Your donations make FIF's support for research possible. 

Vaccinating Island Foxes is an Annual Need

 

Companion dogs are vaccinated against canine distemper annually and so are island foxes.

This Since June biologists have been out in the field across the Channel Islands vaccinating island foxes against rabies and canine distemper virus. The vaccine being administered across 4 islands was provided by donors like you. Who's helping fund vaccinations?

Did you know?

• Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a dog version of the measles virus. It's highly contagious like measles, entering the body through the respiratory system. New research suggests that measles from humans was transferred to dogs 500 years ago during the Spanish colonization of South America. 

 

• Distemper spreads rapidly through wildlife populations. CDV infects dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes, but also raccoons, ferrets, and skunks. The virus is especially deadly to African and Asian species of big cats (lions, leopards, tigers, etc.)

 

• CDV is so lethal to island foxes, they can't withstand the vaccine created for domestic dogs. Island foxes are treated with a dead-virus vaccine that is made in small batches, by one company, and is used by a short list of endangered species: black-footed ferret, giant panda, Iberian lynx, African wild dog, African lion, all tiger species, and other large cats.

 

•  A new study from Penn State University has found evidence that canine distemper virus is influencing grey wolf evolution. A gene mutation, CPD103, creates a black coat in grey wolves. This mutation also makes the lungs less susceptible to the introduction of disease. Black-colored grey wolves are less likely to become infected with CDV. In areas where CDV occurs in high rates, entire wolf populations become darker in color, because the lighter colored individuals are lost to the disease. Read more about this study.

 

Health efforts for rare wildlife go hand-in-hand with research. FIF raises funds to vaccinate island foxes and to investigate important health research.

"Date with a Fox" - Sylvie's Story

Do you remember this island fox?

In the Fall of 2023 this young female island fox was found injured on San Nicolas Island. Her story demonstrates the power of people working together toward a positive goal. Federal and state governmental agencies, biologists, zoos, private individuals, and Friends of the Island Fox donors, all came together to give this island fox a second chance.

See the virtual program  

Date with a Fox - Sylvie's Story

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025

Link to a Japanese translation of this video program - courtesy of Takao Ono

We heard from the team that found Sylvie and made all of the necessary connections to facilitate her transfer to the mainland.

Francesca Ferrara, Natural Resource Specialist, Naval Base Ventura County

Robyn Powers, consulting biologist, SWCA Environmental Consulting 

V.P. of Animal Care and Health at the Santa Barbara Zoo, veterinarian Julie Barnes detailed the medical efforts that were needed to treat Sylvie's injured foot. You'll see the results from the orthopedic surgery that donors like you helped to pay for.

How is Sylvie today? 

 

Living Desert Animal Care Curator, Heather Down, updates us on Sylvie's recovery. 

FIF is Thankful for donors like you that helped to make this successful story possible.  

Celebrating 20 Years of Island Fox Conservation and Looking to the Future

Pat Meyer meets Jane Goodall in 2006

 

Friends of the Island Fox (FIF) was founded in 2005, when Channel Island foxes were critically endangered on four islands.

See a short history of the organization presented during our August "Date with a Fox" on-line program and hear from FIF Board member Justin Purnell about a fieldwork study program for high school students that provides a personal experience with the island ecosystem.

 

Friends of the Island Fox is partnering with the Field Studies Cooperative to provide more students with this life-changing opportunity.