Celebrating the Successful Recovery of the Island Fox

Once on the brink of extinction, the island fox now roams freely across the Channel Islands. It's a conservation success story. On the four-year anniversary of the official U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announcement removing the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) from the Endangered Species List (ESL), foxes are stable in number and overall health.

Official numbers reported at May 2020 IFC  Working Group

In spite of the fact that this remarkable recovery is still celebrated today, conservation work is never completely done. Island foxes remain a conservation-reliant species. Threats still exist to the foxes from parasites, viruses, and human impacts as the islands are visited more and more each year. Keeping island foxes safe and healthy requires understanding of their diet, reproduction, lifespan, behavior, and disease threats.

On-going research doesn't just benefit the island fox. The lessons learned help other rare species as well. The Sierra Nevada red fox is benefiting from viable population modes that were developed for island foxes on Catalina. While not a one-to-one relationship, it is a reference that provides related information for another fox's demographic needs. It's science for Fox sake!

 

The power of partnership and focus can realize dramatic results and we have to look no farther than the group of islands off the Southern California coast. Today each spring fox kits are born as helpless little beings that would not survive without their parent's constant attention. In the course of six short months these tiny helpless creatures grow into self-sufficient cinnamon, gray, and black-colored predators that leave their birth den and seek out their own piece of the island. Those long summer days spent with their parents learning fox philosophy ensure the cycle, inherent in the fox's life, completes itself for the continued survival of the island fox. - Mike Watling

Friends of the Island Fox celebrates the recovery and continued success of the island fox with all of our donors, Island Fox Ambassadors, volunteers, and partners, especially:

• The Island Fox Conservation Working Group 
• CA Fish & Wildlife Service
• Catalina Island Conservancy
• Channel Islands National Park
• Channel Islands Restoration
• FIF Research Grant Recipients
• Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund
• Santa Barbara Zoo
• The Nature Conservancy
• University of California, Davis
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• U.S. Navy

Friends of the Island Fox is accepting applications for our 2020 FIF Research Grant through August 31, 2020. More info and application

Good News on Channel Island Fox Recovery

Have you heard the good news? 

All four of the subspecies of endangered Channel Island foxes are doing well. In fact, three of the subspecies are considered to be close to recovered. What constitutes recovery?

1. Population numbers that have returned to healthy levels
2. Reduction of threats (those that caused the original near extinction and/or new challenges to survival)
3. Stability of the first two for at least five years

A graph of the population figures from Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands shows the rapid declines toward extinction in the late 1990s. (Caused by unnatural golden eagle predation on Santa Cruz and introduced distemper virus on Santa Catalina.) 

From 2000 to 2007 island foxes increased in captive breeding facilities on each of the islands and were gradually released into the wild. Once the threats to their survival were reduced, populations of island foxes increased rapidly in the wild. Golden eagles were relocated and bald eagles were reestablished on the northern islands, while vaccinations for distemper and rabies were instituted across the islands.

On both Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina the island fox populations now fluctuate around a number that represents the carrying capacity or maximum population that can survive on each island's resources. The population of any living species alters naturally in response to available food, water and habitat.

The population numbers for island foxes are compiled annually by biologists in the field each autumn. These hard-working people  from across the six islands come together each year in June with veterinarians, scientists and government officials to discuss the status and threats to each of the six subspecies of island fox. We will have more from the annual meeting of the Integrated Island Fox Recovery Team as we compile our notes. It's been a happy busy week.

Channel Island Foxes Reaching Recovery!

courtesy of Anita Machlis

Twelve years ago, four subspecies of Channel Island foxes almost went extinct. Today in 2012, all populations are stable or increasing. The three populations of island foxes on San Miguel, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands have reached or are approaching the historic numbers documented before introduced disease and predation by golden eagles caused catastrophic declines.

Yesterday, June 12, 2012, the biologists, field researchers, scientists, veterinarians, government agencies and conservation organizations that make up the Integrated Island Fox Recovery Team met to report on each island fox population, compare findings and discuss actions to be taken in the coming year.

It was a day of good news:

• no island foxes killed by golden eagles since January of 2011
• reduced numbers of island foxes hit by cars
• increased numbers of pups born in 2011
• no raccoons accidentally transported to Santa Catalina Island so far in 2012
• introduced mule deer and elk have been removed from Santa Rosa Island

And changing concerns:

• to protect island foxes from the canine distemper virus, vaccinations must be given annually
• increasing island fox populations mean more interactions between wild island foxes and humans and/or their pets
• decreasing funds for monitoring efforts
• need for greater understanding of naturally occurring diseases and parasites
• need for greater understanding of natural island fox diet and impacts from interactions with humans

It was exciting to see the growing community of scientists interested in researching island foxes and the Channel Island ecosystems. There were representatives from:

• University of California, Davis and Los Angeles
• Smithsonian
• Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
• Colorado State University
• University of Wyoming

In twelve years, the San Miguel Island fox has gone from a low of 15 individuals to a thriving 581. This is an amazing population increase of 3,830%, as reported in “On Time, On Target; How the Endangered Species Act Is Saving America’s Wildlife” compiled by the Center for Biological Diversity.

At the heart of this successful recovery is the Integrated Island Fox Recovery Team and the joint effort of people from Channel Islands National Park, Catalina Island Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Institute for Wildlife Studies, the U.S. Navy, CA Dept. of Fish & Game and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, all working together, sharing information and experience. When you add concerned private citizens like you who help support continued monitoring of island foxes by funding radio collars and annual vaccinations, you have one of the most successful efforts to save an endangered species in history.

Check back in the next few weeks for details from annual meeting.

Great News for the Island Fox From Catalina Island

Autumn is the time for counting island foxes across the Channel Islands and providing them with health checks. Early word from our friends at the Catalina Island Conservancy is that island fox numbers are up and they may see their population reach a 1000 this year! 


Considering that the Catalina Island fox was nearly wiped out by the introduction of the distemper virus in the late 1990s, the rebounding of the wild population is a huge success story. Friends of the Island Fox has participated in this recovery by funding radio tracking collars for island foxes on Catalina.


The CIC has posted a wonderful slide show of the whole capturing and health check process. Click HERE to visit the slide show.

Read more about Island Fox Health Checks and listen to biologist Julie King as she does a health check in the field.


Friends of the Fox offers an interactive Fox Health Check Presentation to teach children and adults about the island fox and the work biologists actually do in the field. 

To contact us regarding programs about the island fox: 805 228-4123 or admin@islandfox.org

Return to Santa Cruz Island

In 2005, Kevin Pease encouraged his school to become the first Island Fox Ambassador School and they raised funds for one of Friends of the Island Fox's first radio collars.

During the summer of 2006, Kevin and his family went to Santa Cruz Island and he sent us his Island Journal complete with an island fox photo.

Santa Cruz Island 2006

Kevin returned to Santa Cruz Island again this summer and sent us the following update:

Santa Cruz Island Journal - Summer 2009

Not even after 5 minutes of having been on Santa Cruz Island did I see an island fox, casually strolling through the campgrounds. This reoccured every day for the seven days I was out there. Some days there would be multiple foxes together, looking for food or picking a fight with the skunks. I would have to say though the last night there was the best. Venturing out at around 10 PM for a night hike, I came across two adults and about three pups. The pups were curious, running up and sitting in front of my feet staring up at me, it was a wonderful experience. What was remarkable and joyous about this trip was the difference in population. On the first trip to the islands I saw few foxes but now, they are all over the place. The hard efforts to help these foxes is really showing! - Kevin

In 2007 the island foxes on Santa Cruz Island were all returned to the wild. Recovery Milestone in 2007

A major factor in the rapid recovery of the endangered island fox has been the active participation of school children and community members in island fox conservation efforts.

You can help support island fox conservation by contributing to Friends of the Island Fox.

During Fall health checks, funds are needed to vaccinate wild island foxes against rabies and distemper. Funds are also needed to radio collar island foxes to monitor the health of the population.

Milestone for San Miguel Island Fox

In 2000 the population of island foxes on San Miguel Island drop to a mere 15 individuals. While island foxes live on 6 of California's Channel Islands, the foxes on each island are slightly different from each other. With only 15 island foxes left on San Miguel, they were potentially the last of their kind. (Island foxes on 6 different islands.)

Working together, the National Park Service, conservation organizations, scientists and private citizens helped save the San Miguel Island Fox from going extinct.

Listen to the Fox Talk Podcast and hear an interview with biologist Tim Coonan of Channel Islands National Park and his exciting news from San Miguel Island.

CLICK TO HEAR
CHANNEL ISLAND FOX TALK Podcast

Previous Fox Talk Podcast -

• Fox Talk - July 4, 2007 Pat Meyer President of Friends of the Island Fox & Alan Varsik on the new fox pup born at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

WATCH VIDEO of island foxes being released on San Miguel Island.

Why were the San Miguel Island foxes endangered?
More about island foxes.
Captive breeding to save island foxes.
Most recent reports from all of the islands.