You Did It!
These refurbished radio collars are being prepared for deployment during island fox health checks on San Miguel Island in the next few weeks.
The Channel Islands National Park fox biologists tie bright pink ribbons on radio collars and mark the ribbon with the collar's ID number and radio frequency. Pink makes it easy to find the collar in a dark backpack. The ribbon can quickly be removed and the information on it entered into field notes, after the island fox has been released.
Having the info on the ribbon helps the biologist minimize the time they spend physically in contact with the island fox.
Island foxes do not have to be tranquilized during health checks. Special muzzles that cover their eyes help to keep them calm. However, it is a priority that wild island foxes are handled only when necessary and for the shortest amount of time possible.
Donors like you funded:
- 26 refurbished radio collars
- 20 new radio collars
- and $1,036 in rabies vaccine (to vaccinate 650 island foxes)
that arrived this month for deployment across San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands. Rabies vaccinations will also protect Santa Catalina Island foxes.
Radio collars monitor island fox survival
More about island fox health checks