Reaching a New Milestone - 440 Radio Collars

When does 1+1 = 440?

When an eight-year-old Island Fox Ambassador joins forces with a long-time island fox donor to fund FIF's 440th radio-tracking collar.

 

Rose was along for the ride when her sister Joy chose Channel Islands National Park as one of the parks she'd like to visit as part of the "Every Kid Outside" National Park pass for 4th graders. Visiting from her family home in North Carolina, little sister, Rose became an island fox fan. 

 

The sisters had sewn projects to raise funds for their trip, but rather than spend her earnings on herself, Rose determined to help island foxes.

LeAnn from Wisconsin has been supporting island foxes since 2020. Nearly every month, she sends what she can. Over the course of a year, her selfless efforts add up.

Together Rose and LeAnn have funded Friends of the Island Fox's 440th radio collar. Their collar will be refurbished this spring and fitted on an island fox during the summer/fall 2025 health checks.

$220 refurbishes an island fox radio collar to monitor their survival. More about collars

 

Protecting island foxes takes a community of concerned people. From students to adults, local Californians to people across the U.S. and around the world, island foxes are thriving in the wild because YOU CARE. 

You can become an Island Fox Ambassador, too!

Fox Foto Friday - Radio Collars on San Miguel Island Foxes

 Look who's getting radio tracking collars!

Island foxes born on San Miguel Island in April of 2023 are now adults and large enough to wear radio collars. Three were fitted with radio collars this week. The mask helps the island fox remain calm while the collar is being fitted.

Channel Island National Park biologists report this year's young adults are looking very healthy.

Watch them for yourself as they are released with their new radio collars.

 

Your donations to Friends of the Island Fox 

help to fund radio collars, vaccinations, and research 

into island fox health and behavior

Island Foxes Are Getting New Radio Collars

 

Six new radio collars funded by Friends of the Island Fox will arrive on Catalina Island next week!

Across the Channel Islands, island foxes are receiving annual health checks and new radio-tracking collars.

 

Watch the video below of M173. He is a four-year-old male on Santa Rosa Island and his radio collar was replaced last week during his health check.

He is not tranquilized. The green hood covers his eyes and keeps his mouth closed. This keeps him calm and enables biologists to quickly complete a health check, vaccinate the fox against canine distemper and rabies, and for some island foxes, deploy a new or refurbished radio collar.

This radio collar will send signals to biologists for the next 2–3 years. The signal will help locate M173 and the type of signal informs the biologist if he is moving around normally or if something might have happened to him. In the case of a mortality signal, biologists can follow the signal to find the island fox's body and determine what happened. If there is a threat to other island foxes, action can be taken quickly.

For the 2023 health check season Friends of the Island Fox has supplied:

• 5 new and 15 refurbished radio collars to Santa Cruz Island
• 24 refurbished radio collar to San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands
• 6 new radio collars to Catalina Island 

Radio collars offer the best way to monitor island fox survival 

in the wild. 

Your donations make it all possible.

Radio Collars and Vaccines Arrive for Island Foxes

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

44 radio collars will be fitted on island foxes over the next few months. They were funded through:

• 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.

 

Radio Collars Going On Island Foxes!

Radio-tracking collars are the primary way that island fox survival is monitored across the Channel Islands.

 

12 new radio collars and 21 refurbished radio collars funded by your donations are going on island foxes RIGHT NOW on Catalina Island.

 

Across Catalina Island wildlife biologists are giving island foxes health checks. Weighing them, checking their ears, 

teeth, 

and overall condition.

Meet wildlife biologist Emily Hamblin and hear how she gives health checks to island foxes. "Date with a Fox" program (video recording)

Island foxes also receive vaccinations and have a sample of their blood drawn looking for signs of exposure to other diseases.

Island foxes faced near extinction on four islands twenty-two years ago. One of the causes was introduced canine distemper virus. Island foxes can be vaccinated for this disease, but new diseases arriving on the islands remains one of the greatest threats to this island species. The word for this is "biosecurity." 

Everyone that visits the islands plays a role in biosecurity. See what you can do  

Fox Foto Friday - Beginning of the Year Surprise!

What is it? 15 refurbished radio collars!

These radio-telemetry collars, still in their packaging, have just arrived for island foxes on Santa Cruz Island. They come packaged as pairs of collars set inside each other with their antennae wrapped around. 

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund provided FIF with a special year-end grant that funded these 15 refurbished radio collars and will fund serology testing for Catalina Island foxes this summer.

We are so thankful for our fox friends at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.  

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has been an important partner in island fox conservation since 2006 - funding radio collars, vaccinations, and island fox health investigations.

The Santa Barbara Zoo and the Fresno Chaffee Zoo have long been champions of island fox conservation. They are the perfect example of how zoos can make a real conservation difference.

After these radio collars are prepped and banded with color-coding, they will be ready to be fitted on island foxes. 

You are an important partner in island fox conservation, too. Donors like you are matching the Fresno Chaffee Zoo's grant! 

This winter donors have funded 14 refurbished collars and 2 new collars.

FIF hopes to fund 20 more radio collars this season!

Radio collars are the number one way to monitor island fox health and survival in the wild. 

Your donations help FIF provide important radio collars for island foxes!

Fox Foto Friday - Color-Coded Radio Collars

Why so many smiling faces? 

Nineteen refurbished radio-tracking collars and two new ones provided by Friends of the Island Fox are being deployed onto Catalina Island foxes, right now.

Why the bands of color?

Catalina Island Conservancy biologist Emily Hamblen explains that the color-coding is individual to each collared fox. Especially on Catalina Island, this adds an additional way to collect information on individual animals. "When visitors report that they have seen a fox with a specific color combination," Hamblen says, "...it helps us keep track of foxes between telemetry shifts."  

This fall on Catalina Island, four new faces are working with Hamblen: (Above, from left to right) Makenzie Henk (Conservancy wildlife biologist), wildlife interns Ava Johnson and Jenna Hatfield, and Ricky Robbins (wildlife technician). Hamblen says: "This year, the fox interns helped us prepare the collars by adding the colored tape, checking to ensure the frequencies were correct, and punching holes in the leather of the collars so that we can place them on foxes more quickly in the field."

The Catalina team is into its third week of counting island foxes and placing radio collars. "We have placed 11 collars so far," Hamblen reports, "and plan on placing the rest over the next 4 weeks!" 

She added, "I was reflecting on how important the contributions of FIF have been to the success of this year's fox program."

In 2021, your donations provided the following for island foxes on Catalina:

• 350 canine distemper virus and rabies vaccinations
• studying disease antibodies in 80 individuals
• refurbishing 19 radio collars (including 10 funded by a grant from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund)
• 2 new radio collars

Your donations to Friends of the Island Fox makes a difference and goes directly toward conservation and research efforts.

Which radio collar on the table, did you help fund?

 

Watch a radio-collared island fox being released

2021 Radio Collars for Channel Islands National Park

Radio Collars Going On Island Foxes!

photo courtesy of S. Baker, NPS

Meet M181! This young male island fox on Santa Rosa Island was fitted with a radio collar funded by YOU.

Channel Island National Park biologists have been fitting radio collars on individual foxes, conducting health checks, and counting island foxes throughout August.

These new and refurbished radio collars will provide information on island fox location and survival for the next 2–3 years.

Each radio collar has a signal at a specific individual frequency that is picked up by a radio receiver. The fox does not hear the collar's signal. 

Biologists can only hear the signal if they have a receiver tuned to the correct frequency and are within a specific proximity to the fox.

Radio collars are small and light weight so they do not bother the island fox. Each radio collar is fitted with a "two-finger fit" so that it is not too tight, yet not so loose that it might get caught on something.

Watch and Listen to the video below

WATCH as M181 is released back into the wild after his check-up and radio collar fitting.

LISTEN for the beeps from the receiver as the biologist checks the functioning of the radio collar.

 

Island Foxes on San Miguel Island will be getting their radio collars next.

Catalina Island foxes will be getting their radio collars and vaccinations soon. 

You can still help fund a refurbished radio collar $220 

for Catalina Island. 

Donate Today 

Fox Foto Friday - Radio Collars Arrive!

Radio-tracking collars have arrived at Channel Islands National Park. These new and refurbished radio collars will be going on island foxes across San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands over the next two months.

Why is there a pink ribbon? For speed and accuracy in the field

Collar identification numbers and radio frequency are originally noted on the collar band. When the bands are pre-punched with holes to fascilitate an adjustable fit on individual foxes, the numbers can become obscured. 

In the field the goal is to keep an island fox in-hand for as little time as possible. By putting the important numbers on the pink ribbon, the collar can be quickly grabbed from a bag, the ribbon taken off, the collar fitted, and the fox released. Then the collar numbers can be written on the data sheet for that individual island fox. 

 It is a brilliant and simple way to keep data accurate and release island foxes as quickly as possible.

Friends of the Island Fox just provided 15 refurbished and 15 new radio collars for the northern islands. 

But 8 of those new collars still need funding!

If you donate $350 for a new radio collar today, your collar will be going on an island fox in the next few weeks.

FIF also still needs to raise funds for 11 refurbished radio collars that will be finished in early September and ready to go on Catalina Island foxes. 

$220 refurbishes a used radio collar

$350 funds a new radio collar

Radio collars monitor island foxes in the wild, providing an early warning of disease or other threats to an entire island's population. 

When you donate to Friends of the Island Fox you can see where your donation goes

Vaccinations for Catalina Island foxes

Research

Donor Update

Fox Foto Friday - 250 Radio Collars To Date

Mike Watling, Chair of FIF's Board of Directors, recently took this photo of an island fox wearing a radio-tracking collar just at dusk on Santa Rosa Island. 

Did you help fund this radio collar?

Since 2005, Friends of the Island Fox has been committed to funding radio-tracking collars for island foxes. In 2006, FIF donors funded 10 radio collars for island foxes being released from captive breeding back into the wild. See video of captive-born island foxes being released in 2006.

In 2021, donors like you funded our 250th radio collar. This landmark collar will go on an island fox on Catalina Island this summer. 

Today island foxes live their lives running free in the wild. Individuals with radio collars help alert biologists to threats for the entire island population. Radio collars also monitor specific foxes recovering from health challenges or injury.

Meet two island foxes with radio collars: F257 and Vixen

FIF is committed to raising funds for an additional:

• 15 new radio collars at $350 each
• 19 refurbished radio collars at $220 each

These radio collars and vaccinations are needed for summer 2021. With your help island foxes will continue to thrive in the wild long into the future.

 

Fox Foto Friday - What's That Island Fox Wearing

Yes, it is a new radio-tracking collar! 

Through your generous donations, FIF was able to fund 5 new radio-tracking collars for island foxes on Catalina Island. 

Catalina Island fox receives vaccination during health check

These new collars will be placed on island foxes during this summer/fall annual counting and health checks.

Are you keeping count? We are:

• 7 refurbished collars for Santa Rosa/San Miguel
• 20 refurbished collars for Santa Cruz
• 5 new collars for Catalina

Our goal is to fund 8 more $220 refurbished collars for Santa Rosa/ San Miguel in 2019. 

With your help we can meet this important need.  

Please donate today

More Radio Collars for Island Foxes !

This island fox is smiling because it is wearing a newly refurbished radio collar. More about M152

Two things happened this week:

• 7 newly refurbished radio collars arrived at Channel Islands National Park to be deployed on San Miguel and Santa Rosa Island foxes
• FIF funded our 27th radio collar this year!

Twenty refurbished radio collars went to Santa Cruz Island in May to be fitted on island foxes this summer. 

You helped fund these radio collars to monitor island fox health and welfare. 

But we aren't done yet. 

Health checks and annual counting are starting across the islands. This is when old damaged radio collars are removed and replaced with new or refurbished radio collars. 

 

FIF is hoping to fund:

• 5 more $350 new collar
• 13 more $220 refurbished collars 

We know we can do this with YOUR HELP!

The time to radio collar island foxes is right NOW! 

Please DONATE TODAY 

What Has Arrived at Channel Islands National Park?

 Radio collars!

Five new radio collars

still in the wrapper

and 

Six refurbished radio collars

all rebuilt and ready to go back on island foxes!

...have arrived at Channel Islands National Park. These radio-telemetry collars will be fitted on island foxes in the next few months as biological technicians count island foxes and check their health.

Your donations funded these radio collars!

Look closely, this island fox is wearing a radio collar

Foxes with worn collars will be giving them up for refurbishing or new batteries. You have funded fourteen more of these collars to go from the field to the workshop for refitting. More on Refurbished Radio Collars

Radio collars offer a frontline of defense for monitoring and protecting island foxes.