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| 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.
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.
