Island fox populations are stable across the Channel Islands, but recovery is only as sustainable as our participation in protecting them from introduced threats.
Radio Monitoring
Radio-tracking collars remain the best technology for monitoring island fox survival. These collars allow biologists to determine from a distance that an island fox is alive and active in its habitat. If something happens to a fox and it stops moving for 6 hrs, the radio collar signal changes, alerting biologists that something has happened to that individual island fox. Quick response to the death of a collared fox allows new diseases or other threats to be discovered early–protecting the rest of the uncollared population.
New and refurbished radio collars have just arrived.
- 5 new and 15 refurbished radio collars for Santa Cruz Island
- 24 refurbished radio collars for Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands
- combining small donations - 18 collars
- Island Fox Ambassador project - 1 collar
- "Cassidy Runs for Foxes" - 4 collars
- radio collar sponsorships (private individuals and Pomona Valley Audubon) - 13 collars
- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden grant - 2 collars
- Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Grant - 6 collars
Vaccinations Against Distemper and Rabies
Despite vaccine price increases, you helped FIF raise the $13,571 needed to vaccinate 650 island foxes in 2023.
Vaccine for rabies and canine distemper has gone out to Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Catalina Islands. On the three northern islands, 100 foxes will be vaccinated during health checks, while 350 island foxes will be vaccinated on Catalina. Why are more foxes vaccinated on Catalina?
It takes a community to vaccinate island foxes:
- Private donors, big and small
- Camarillo Neighborhood Recycling project
- FIF 2023 Island Trip Participants
- Channel Islands Maritime Museum "Scent of the Islands" candle sales
- Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Grant & special year-end grant
- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden grant
Every donation makes a difference for island fox survival.
