Support Conservation Efforts That Work

In 2015, Friends of the Island Fox began working with the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC) on a project to replace deteriorating trash containers that threatened island fox survival. (See the direct and in-direct danger to island foxes)

As of January 2017, FIF has funded the installation of 7 “Fox-Saver” bins. Julie King, Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management with the CIC sent us this exciting report from the field:

The wildlife-proof cans that we installed out at Parson's Landing (remote beach campground) have made a HUGE difference! 

Before I would spend 30 minutes each day I was out there [counting island foxes] picking up trash that foxes and ravens had drug into the bushes. I would always catch foxes there ... loaded with lice. [They had become] habituated moochers. This year, it was so different. No trash to be found on the ground or in the bushes and no foxes caught. To me, no foxes in camp is a testament to the effectiveness of the new trash cans. No more free meals. Outside of camp, there were plenty of foxes and they were all in great shape. Nice to see!

Six new bins have replaced the two large dilapidated wooden containers. The result is healthier island foxes, no foxes coming to the area for free food and becoming more likely to be hit by automobiles, and no foxes trapped inside deathtrap trash cans.

We know what works. Removing an unnatural food source also reduces unnatural concentrations of island foxes thereby decreasing the possible spread of disease. Prevention of problems is financially cost effective and reduces the need to react to crisis situations.

Friends of the Island Fox supports conservation measures that are proven to work:

• Vaccination for island foxes against canine distemper and rabies
• Monitoring with radio collars and annual counting to quickly detect unnatural population decline
• Securing trash with “Fox-Saver” bins to deter unnatural island fox behavior and threats from human activities

We are working with our friends at CIC on other measures to make campgrounds less attractive to island foxes and more usable for humans.

Now more than ever, island foxes need you to secure their survival into the future.

Island Foxes Thank You for 2016

photo courtesy of Hal Epstein

2016 was an AMAZING YEAR for 

Channel Island foxes!

The four subspecies, which barely escaped extinction 16 years ago, all reached stable recovery levels. This historic recovery prompted the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to change the status of the island fox on the U.S. Endangered Species list.

Island foxes from the northern islands, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz, were removed completely from Endangered status, while the Catalina Island fox was downlisted to Vulnerable. For more on this historic recovery.

Island foxes are no longer an Endangered Species, but they continue to need public vigilance to support their recovery and future stability. Friends of the Island Fox will continue to support the monitoring of island foxes and responses to their conservation needs.

Thank you to everyone who helped Friends of the Island Fox fund the following in 2016:

• Distemper Vaccinations for 550 foxes across 3 islands (LUSH Cosmetics grant)
• 10 radio tracking collars (private donors)
• 7 fox-proof trash bins on Catalina Island (private and school group donations)
• Serology testing on Santa Rosa (Fresno Chaffee Zoo conservation grant)
• 32 Education Programs reaching 2,166 students (LUSH Cosmetics grant)
• 2 trips of volunteers removing invasive plant species on Santa Cruz Island with partner org. Channel Islands Restoration (underwritten by LUSH Cosmetics grant)
• Distemper Vaccinations and health checks for 250 foxes in 2017 (private and school group donations)
• Serology testing on Catalina (Fresno Chaffee Zoo conservation grant)

With quarters and classroom "Fox Boxes," private donations and corporate grants, YOU helped save the island fox from extinction.

May 2017 continue the community effort to protect island foxes.  

Working Together to Save Channel Island Foxes

The success of Channel Island fox recovery is rooted in cooperation among a broad group of government agencies, public and private conservation groups, scientists and researchers, and an active local community. Students, from elementary through high school, have played an active role as Island Fox Ambassadors–raising funds for radio tracking collars, ID microchips, and vaccinations.

This month students from the Buena High Enviromental Club (Ventura, CA) received national recognition for their efforts in restoring native plant ecosystems in Channel Islands National Park. The students from Buena High have also been strong supporters of island fox conservation.

Friends of the Island Fox's motto has always been "Working Together to Save the Island Fox." Many endangered species to not have the benefit of people working in collaboration. We have seen the Channel Island fox rebound from the edge of extinction because people working together can facilitate positive change.

photo courtesy of K. Lampkin

Three Cheers for our active young people and Many Thanks to all the people, near and far, who have helped to fund conservation efforts that have worked!

• Fresno Chaffee Zoo Conservation Grant
• Santa Barbara Zoo
• Fort Collins CO Foxes Baseball Team

It all begins with the annual meeting of the Island Fox Working Group in June. Last year we found out about the threat posed to island foxes by trash cans on Santa Catalina. (2014 meeting of the Island Fox Working Group) You helped us respond to this conservation challenge. Any day now we hope to announce we have reached our goal on this effort.

This year drought and biosecurity are on the meeting agenda, both pose threats to stable Channel Island fox populations. Stay tuned for updates from the biologists, veterinarians, and scientists working in the field. 

Radio Collar Milestone !

courtesy of Kevin Schafer

This summer:

Friends of the Island Fox 

funded its  

90th radio tracking collar

for island foxes  !

Tracking collars, like the one slightly visible on the picture at the left, are worn by island foxes across the four islands where they are considered endangered: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands. (Look for the brown of the collar just below the fox's white cheek patch and the antennae rising up behind its ear and going over its back.) Why are radio collars important?

This rare species of fox is found only on California's Channel Islands. Where do island foxes live?

In the year 2000, four of the subspecies faced extinction. But through the joint efforts of conservation organizations, government agencies, involved local citizens of all ages and dedicated biologists in the field, all of the endangered Channel Island fox populations are recovering. What does recovery look like?

Thank you to everyone: our friends, neighbors, concerned students and global partners. You all are playing an active role in helping to save the Channel Island fox.

There is still more work to do: You can play an important roll in providing lifelong identification for an island fox. 

Find out about our 2013 Microchip Challenge.

400 Endangered Island Foxes Protected

photo courtesy of Melissa Baffa

These two island fox pups born on the Channel Islands this year have a glowing future because their human neighbors care about protecting them.

Friends of the Island Fox is thrilled to announce that the Fresno Chaffee Zoo has awarded us a Conservation Grant of $2,000 to vaccinate 200 endangered Channel Island foxes against canine distemper.

This is a doubly rewarding acknowledgement because:

1. These matching funds combine with private donations raised this summer to meet our goal of $4,000 to vaccinate 100 endangered island foxes against canine distemper on FOUR islands.
2. This is also the sixth year that the Fresno Chaffee Zoo has supported conservation efforts on behalf of the endangered Channel Island fox. In previous years they have funded radio tracking collars on individual island foxes.

It is heartening when a local California zoo sees the importance of supporting conservation of a local endangered species. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has been a strong partner in helping to save the endangered island fox and we thank them for recognizing the continued success of island fox recovery depends on proactive vaccination against disease.

Thank you to everyone who supported our canine distemper vaccination drive this summer.

You helped protect 400 Channel Island foxes from canine distemper in 2012 !

12th Annual Meeting of the Island Fox Recovery Group

Last week biologists and land managers from across the Channel Islands came together to report on the current status of California's endangered island fox.


The news in 2010 is very positive. Conservation efforts are paying off in increased population numbers for all four of the endangered subspecies–San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands. But even as there was discussion on the criteria needed to support a possible delisting from endangered status, the importance of monitoring these vulnerable populations was brought home.

In the early months of this year, 11 island foxes on Santa Rosa were killed by an unnatural predator, a golden eagle. A juvenile golden eagle was spotted on several occasions, but to date it has not been caught. The deaths of the endangered animals came to light because of individual island foxes that were radio collared and monitored.

Across the islands radio collars enable biologists to quickly locate a fox that has died. When the animal doesn't move at all for six hours the radio collar changes it signal to a "mortality" pattern. This timely knowledge enables the biologists to immediately find the carcass and begin to determine the cause of death. The sooner the cause of death is understood, the quicker steps can be taken to protect other island foxes.

Radio tracking collars play a vital role in monitoring island foxes and have helped these tiny animals to make an unprecedented recovery for an endangered mammal species. This is why Friends of the Island Fox has worked to raise funds to place radio collars on individual island foxes. (See Radio Collars)

As we distill down our notes from the Annual Conference and verify our information with the island fox biologists, we will be posting an update for each of the 6 subspecies of island foxes.

While there are still challenges ahead for endangered island foxes, population numbers are up and community awareness is growing. Friends of the Island Fox thanks all of you who have played a role in raising funds, educating the public, and working on island fox conservation. You have played an important role in bringing the island fox back from the brink of extinction.

Bald Eagle Update: Spring 2007

The recovery of island fox populations on the northern islands is linked to the successful return of bald eagles to the Channel Islands. (Why bald eagles went extinct on the Channel Islands in the 20th century)

Bald eagles stake out territory for themselves and help to keep out golden eagles which prey on unsuspecting island foxes.

This spring has been filled with wonderful successes for nesting bald eagles on the Channel Islands.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife reports “Two Bald Eagle Chicks Hatch Unaided on Catalina Island”
• Catalina Island Conservancy announces “Third Bald Eagle Chick Hatches Naturally on Catalina Island”
• Channel Islands National Park finds bald eagles nesting for the second year on Santa Cruz Island
• You can watch the bald eagle chicks grow up via NestCam as part of the Catalina Island Bald Eagle Restoration Project conducted by the Institute for Wildlife Studies.
• Hear the Latest Bald Eagle News from Dr. Peter Sharpe, Institute for Wildlife Studies when he talks on “Bald Eagle Restoration on the Channel Islands” at Channel Island National Park Wednesday May 9 at 7:00 PM.

Each Channel Island is a delicate ecosystem. Restoring habitat and supporting a healthy bald eagle population is vital to saving the endangered island fox.

Island foxes are presently having their pups out on the islands. Stay tuned for Updates from the Fox Conference in June and come support Friends of the Island Fox at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens’ Fox Festival Saturday May 19th.