Annual Meeting of Island Fox Conservation Working Group

photo courtesy of Channel Islands National Park

 Every year biologists, veterinarians, researchers, educators, private individuals, government officials and land managers involved with Channel Island foxes meet in June to share information. As the four endangered subspecies have approached population recovery, funding for this important annual meeting has weakened. 

This year the June 2014 meeting of 

the Island Fox Conservation Working Group 

is being hosted by Friends of the Island Fox!

Through the generous donations of private individuals and community organizations, FIF is making sure this important networking and sharing of scientific information continues. Thank you to all of our island fox supporters. You have made a huge difference for the continued success of endangered island fox recovery.

When the Working Group meets next week there will be specific updates on each island fox subspecies. (Six different subspecies). 

Representatives from Channel Islands National Park, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Institute for Wildlife Studies, Catalina Island Conservancy, United States Navy, The Nature Conservancy, University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Santa Barbara Zoo, Smithsonian Institute, Channel Islands Park Foundation and Friends of the Island Fox will present reports and discuss issues pertaining to island foxes.

Island fox having teeth checked during Health Check, NPS

Some of the Report Topics:

• Pathology from island foxes that died over the past year
• The future of a representative mainland zoo population
• Amyloidosis in island foxes (a build up of proteins that can cause health problems)
• Modeling the risk of epidemic disease for island foxes
• What new genetic information reveals about the evolutionary history of the island fox
• Procedures to de-list eligible island fox subspecies from the Endangered Species List

Proposed Issues for Discussion:

• Agency plans for detecting and mitigating golden eagle predation
• Fine tuning the epidemic response plan regarding sentinel fox mortalities
• Impact of a new parasite detected in San Miguel Island foxes
• Storage and utilization of island fox biological samples (obtained from island foxes during health checks and from necropsy of deceased foxes)
• Decision tree for treating injured wild island foxes

You can see the important items that will be addressed and information that will be shared. The greatest successes for endangered species come when people sit down together and share their expertise and ideas for solutions. 

Thank you again to all of our island fox friends that helped to continue this important meeting.