Fox Foto Friday - Keeping Vaccines Cool

How are colorful cooler bags and ice packs helping island foxes?

 

Biologists at Channel Islands National Park will soon be heading out into the field to count island foxes and provide health checks. Part of that effort includes vaccinating island foxes and taking blood samples.

 

 

Vaccines need to be kept cool going out into the field and biological samples need to be kept cool coming back.

To maintain biosecurity for each island and reduce the opportunity for insects, viruses, parasites, or plant seeds to hitch a ride and move from one island to another, FIF has supplied the biologists with two cooler sets per island. Cooler packs dedicated to use on a specific island will help keep island foxes safe.

 

$1,036 of rabies vaccine is on its way to four islands for 650 island foxes. 

Your donations help protect island foxes.

Help FIF raise the additional $7,000 to pay for this year's canine distemper vaccine.

Help Protect The Biodiversity of The Channel Islands

Friends of the Island Fox joins with Channel Islands National Park, The Nature Conservancy, Catalina Island Conservancy, and other conservation partners to encourage mindful visiting to California's Channel Islands.

Our Channel Islands are home to many unique species, like the island fox, which are found nowhere else in the world.

Channel Islands National Park says: "Preventing the re-introduction and establishment of nonnative species is vitally important to preserving the nearly 150 endemic plant and animal species of the islands. As a visitor, you play a valuable role in helping to protect that biodiversity."

 

 

The Nature Conservancy reminds everyone that many island plants and animals have been negatively impacted "by the introduction of harmful nonnative species, such as rats, Argentine ants, and weeds. This video provides simple steps that visitors can follow before they depart the mainland to protect the vulnerable island species."

 

Share this video with those you know who intend to visit the Channel Islands. Simple steps can save island foxes and other island species.

What is it like to visit:

Santa Cruz Island  

Santa Rosa Island

San Miguel Island

Santa Catalina Island

San Nicolas Island

Protecting Channel Island Foxes Against Distemper Virus

Biosecurity–the threat of introduced disease and non-native species–has become a major issue in the recovery of the Channel Island fox. 

See 2015 Island Fox Status Report

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) nearly caused the extinction of the Santa Catalina Island fox. Island foxes were vaccinated against this virulent disease until 2012, when a vaccine safe for this rare species became unavailable. 

A newly available vaccine has been found safe for island foxes. Since June, it has been verified on 30 monitored wild island foxes and the few island foxes in captivity.

Friends of the Island Fox 

hopes to raise $5,000 

to vaccinate 

500 island foxes against Canine Distemper

Wild Channel Island fox having blood drawn during health check.

Biologists are in the field right NOW providing health checks and counting island foxes. The lower price of the new CDV vaccine means that: 

a $10 donation 

will vaccinate an island fox against 

BOTH Canine Distemper and Rabies

in 2015

Twice the protection for $10.

We already have raised $2,800, over half the funds needed. 

Each island fox protected helps secure the population's continuation even in the face of introduced epidemic disease.

Won't you please help in this vital effort to preserve the historic recovery of the endangered Channel Island fox?