Vaccinating Island Foxes is an Annual Need

 

Companion dogs are vaccinated against canine distemper annually and so are island foxes.

This Since June biologists have been out in the field across the Channel Islands vaccinating island foxes against rabies and canine distemper virus. The vaccine being administered across 4 islands was provided by donors like you. Who's helping fund vaccinations?

Did you know?

• Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a dog version of the measles virus. It's highly contagious like measles, entering the body through the respiratory system. New research suggests that measles from humans was transferred to dogs 500 years ago during the Spanish colonization of South America. 

 

• Distemper spreads rapidly through wildlife populations. CDV infects dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes, but also raccoons, ferrets, and skunks. The virus is especially deadly to African and Asian species of big cats (lions, leopards, tigers, etc.)

 

• CDV is so lethal to island foxes, they can't withstand the vaccine created for domestic dogs. Island foxes are treated with a dead-virus vaccine that is made in small batches, by one company, and is used by a short list of endangered species: black-footed ferret, giant panda, Iberian lynx, African wild dog, African lion, all tiger species, and other large cats.

 

•  A new study from Penn State University has found evidence that canine distemper virus is influencing grey wolf evolution. A gene mutation, CPD103, creates a black coat in grey wolves. This mutation also makes the lungs less susceptible to the introduction of disease. Black-colored grey wolves are less likely to become infected with CDV. In areas where CDV occurs in high rates, entire wolf populations become darker in color, because the lighter colored individuals are lost to the disease. Read more about this study.

 

Health efforts for rare wildlife go hand-in-hand with research. FIF raises funds to vaccinate island foxes and to investigate important health research.

Help A Fox Day - Protect Island Foxes

On this summer day you can help one rare fox survive.

What's in these vials? A vaccine that protects island foxes from canine distemper virus (CDV).

It takes $20 to vaccinate an island fox against CDV and rabies. Donors like you have helped Friends of the Island Fox purchase these vials of vaccine. We are committed to providing vaccinations for 300–350 island foxes on Catalina Island in 2021. 

But we still need to raise another $2,000!

Help FIF vaccinate island foxes!

CDV spreads rapidly through island fox populations and few survive. This virus caused the death of over 90% of the Catalina Island foxes in the late 1990s.

stowaway raccoon travels to Catalina Island

 

In 2021 - CDV is prevalent on the mainland in the Long Beach area, across from Catalina Island.  

CDV is carried by raccoons and other wildlife, as well as pet dogs. Make sure your dog is vaccinated against canine distemper virus and help island foxes stay safe too.

 

$20 protects an island fox for a year! 

Please donate through the secure DONATION button in the upper right of the page.

Distemper Outbreak in Long Beach Raises Threat to Island Foxes

courtesy of M. Baffa

April 15, 2021 the City of Long Beach issued a press release "Animal Care Services Reports Distemper Outbreak." The city reported that "38 raccoons and at least one skunk" had been found with the highly transmissible disease: canine distemper virus (CDV). 

This is the kind of situation that led to the serious decline of the Santa Catalina Island fox between 1998–2000. A wild raccoon infected with canine distemper virus was unknowingly transported to the island. Canine distemper virus killed 90% of the Catalina Island foxes within months and necessitated a multi-year effort to recover their population.

CDV can easily be passed from wildlife to pet dogs through direct contact or the sharing of food or water bowls. You can help protect the island fox and your pets. Vaccinate your pet dog against canine distemper virus. A vaccinated pet is protected and stops transmission from continuing. When there are high levels of CDV on the mainland, the threat to island foxes magnifies.

There are currently over 2,000 individual island foxes on Catalina Island. CDV is especially deadly to puppies and island fox pups. Island fox pups were born across the islands in April; they will be especially vulnerable for the next few months.

Friends of the Island Fox is raising funds to assist the Catalina Island Conservancy in vaccinating 300–350 island foxes on Catalina Island this summer. That is still only around 15% of the population. Vaccinating island foxes is the best chance for protection.

There are several months between now and when island foxes will be vaccinated. You can help protect island foxes from this heightened disease threat:

• Vaccinate your dog against canine distemper
• Do not feed wildlife, especially in harbor or port areas
• Dispose of trash in secured bins so wildlife can not access it
  
• If you have a boat, or know someone who does, always be aware of wildlife that may be hiding on board. If you detect a raccoon or other animal, return to port, DO NOT continue on to Catalina. Be wary of transporting any wildlife or feral animals to Catalina or any of the Channel Islands.
  
• Consider donating to FIF - a $20 donation will vaccinate an island fox against canine distemper virus and rabies.

Island foxes need all of us to be vigilant and stop the spread of this current CDV outbreak.

Your donation will help vaccinate island foxes against deadly canine distemper virus. 

Distemper Virus on the Rise in California Winter 2020

Wildlife veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford, a longtime island fox advocate and member of the Island Fox Conservation Working Group, was on the radio for the US Fish & Wildlife (USFWS) warning about the rise of canine distemper virus in California this winter.

2019 was a good year for wildlife, including island foxes. On the mainland, raccoon, striped skunk, and gray fox populations have all increased. (The gray fox is the ancestor of the island fox.) State wildlife agencies are also seeing an increase of canine distemper virus (CDV) among these species. Distemper is the dog equivalent of measles–it impacts the neurological and respiratory system, is highly contagious, and can be deadly to pet dogs and wild animals.

The collapse of the Santa Catalina Island fox population in 1998 was caused by a wild raccoon carrying CDV that was transported to the island. The introduction of distemper from this one raccoon nearly wiped out the Catalina Island fox.

island fox being vaccinated

Ideally, between 100 and 300 island foxes are vaccinated against CDV and rabies on each island. This ensures that if an introduction of distemper occurs at least a minimal number of island foxes might survive. Distemper is highly fatal among island foxes. On Santa Cruz Island, it means 100 would survive, but approximately 2,000 island foxes would perish. 

island fox with a radio-tracking collar

Introduced disease is the primary threat to island fox survival. This is why monitoring is so important and why FIF helps fund radio collars and health checks.

The USFWS and Friends of the Island Fox urge you to 

protect your pets, wildlife, and the island fox. 

Vaccinate your pets against the canine distemper virus (CDV).

500 Island Foxes Protected Against Canine Distemper Virus

Canine Distemper poses a serious threat to endangered Channel Island fox populations across all six islands where they live.

Thank You! 

to everyone who donated and helped us reach our goal of


 

$5,000 to vaccinate 500 island foxes in fall 2015 against Canine Distemper Virus and rabies. 

Introduced disease is a major concern for these isolated populations. Working as a community of concerned citizens, you have helped to assure that even if catastrophic disease is introduced 100 individual island foxes will be protected from disease on each island.

 The annual counting of Channel Island foxes and providing of health checks has recently concluded for the 2015 year. See what it's like to work as a field biologist counting island foxes. 

The biologists will be taking the data they have collected this fall to estimate island-wide population numbers and trends. We know that drought has impacted some island fox populations. We will see if scattered spring and summer rains improved island resources.

Thank you again to everyone who helped support FIF's 2015 vaccination fundraiser. 

Working Together We Are Saving the Channel Island Fox.  

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? 

FIF Helps Meet Urgent Need For Channel Island Foxes

At the Island Fox Conservation Working Group meeting on June 16th, we learned of a serious threat looming over Channel Island foxes. The Canine Distemper virus (CDV) is highly contagious and deadly to these small canines. It nearly caused the Catalina Island fox's extinction in 1999.

Since that emergency, Channel Island foxes have been vaccinated for CDV with a specific vaccine designed for ferrets. Unfortunately, the vaccine has not been produced for two years. Island land managers have only been able to use vaccine they had on hand, leaving the majority of island foxes unprotected for the last two years.

A new CDV vaccine has recently become available, however it is unclear whether it will be effective for island foxes. There is great urgency to test the new vaccine before fall counting and health check season. This is the only time when a large number of island foxes are handled by biologists on all islands.

Safe capture cages allow island foxes to be captured for health checks

island fox radio-tracking collars

As part of an emergency effort to verify the effectiveness of the new CDV vaccination, five island foxes will be tested on each island. Each of these individuals, which have never been vaccinated for distemper before, will be caught, blood tested, vaccinated with the new vaccine, radio-collared, and released. 

These radio-collared individuals will be caught again a month later and their blood will be tested to verify that they have built-up antibodies against the disease. ID microchips and records on each animal enable biologists to know which island foxes can participate in this test.

This is an extra unexpected cost for each island. Friends of the Island Fox committed to quickly fund:

FIVE radio-tracking collars for Santa Rosa Island ($1,500) 

FIF Santa Cruz Island Trip 2015

Thanks to the participants on our Santa Cruz Island Trip and generous private donors, we have provided these important funds. 
 
The vaccine is currently being tested across the islands. If the new CDV vaccine provides protection to Channel Island foxes, we may be raising money for vaccinations to protect as many individuals as possible this fall.

Your support helped us to pledge this important financial commitment. Thank You to all of our conservation supporters.

Considering Epidemic Disease Threats to Island Foxes

courtesy of Paul Bronstein

What saved the Catalina Island fox from rapid extinction when canine distemper virus was introduced between 1998-1999? 

An isthmus and human action

Epidemic disease poses a major threat to naive island species like the Channel Island fox. When distemper was introduced via a raccoon transported unknowingly to the island, the disease spread rapidly throughout the island fox population. Nearly all of the 103 surviving Catalina Island foxes lived north of the isthmus, a narrow neck of land connecting the western and eastern parts of the island.

photo from NOAA of Santa Catalina Island

Fox traffic across this exposed area is minimal.

At the recent Island Fox Conservation Working Group Meeting, Brian Hudgens from the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) reported on his findings “Mapping Epidemic Risk in Island Foxes.”

Working with Julie King from the Catalina Island Conservancy, they considered the map of Catalina Island and the areas where epidemic disease is most likely to be introduced via human visitors–the towns of Avalon and Two Harbors, beaches and harbors, and youth camps. They combined this with fox related factors:

1. island fox population density on Catalina
2. typical home range size of individual island foxes
3. range overlap with neighboring island foxes
4. number of interactions with neighboring foxes

It quickly became apparent that island fox density on Catalina Island is highest in the areas near human habitation; the areas which also pose the greatest risk for disease introduction.

Next, Hudgens created a computer model calculating how introduced canine distemper virus would travel across the island and through the island fox population. What they didn’t expect was that in most cases it didn’t matter where the disease was introduced, in 3 - 4 months an epidemic would cause 100% mortality island-wide. The only deviation was a reduction to 90-100% mortality, if the disease was introduced at the far western end of the island, with the isthmus to hinder the infection spread.

Adding vaccination into the modeling dramatically changed the modeling outcome and the most significant protection was provided by island-wide vaccination of individual island foxes. When a significant number of island foxes across the island were vaccinated in the model, animals that were not vaccinated had a four-times better chance of surviving as well.

Friends of the Island Fox funded 400 island fox distemper vaccinations in 2012.

Each vaccination for rabies or distemper costs $10.
 
Vaccination provides vital protection for these rare island foxes. Successful recovery can only be maintained through vigilant proactive protection.  

Studying Island Fox Blood

What is the biologist doing to that island fox?

Blood samples play an important role in not only monitoring island fox health, but also in alerting biologists to potential diseases island foxes may have been exposed to. When an animal comes in contact with a disease, their immune system creates antibodies to fight against the disease threat. 

By testing island fox blood samples for titers, levels of antibodies, biologist can determine if island foxes have encountered new disease threats. They also can tell if individuals are carrying antibodies from vaccinations at high enough levels to protect them against know diseases like rabies and distemper.  

Serology, studying blood samples, may not sound very exciting, but it is very important to the recovery of the endangered island fox. Thanks to a $2,000 grant from our friends at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, island fox blood samples taken during annual fall health checks last fall will be examined for antibodies to various canine diseases (distemper, parvo, etc.).

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 !

Foxy Ladies Help Island Foxes

Why is that Channel Island fox in a cage?

Each year in late summer / early autumn, island foxes are caught in safe capture cages so that their numbers can be counted. This also allows the biologists on the six islands, where the island foxes live, to check the health of individual foxes, replace old radio tracking collars and to vaccinate the island foxes against disease.

Canine distemper virus and rabies pose a serious threat to the endangered Channel Island fox. Distemper virus nearly caused the extinction of the Santa Catalina Island fox between 1994 and 2000. The population crashed from 1,342 individuals to 165.

The four endangered subspecies of island foxes on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands are successfully recovering and the job of protecting them from disease is a priority. Island foxes have territories that overlap. Recent studies modeling how distemper travels through island fox populations conclude that the best way to protect a viable percentage of island foxes in the event of distemper introduction is to vaccinate a minimum of 100 individuals. And since the vaccine’s protection against the disease only lasts one year, a minimum of 100 island foxes need to be vaccinated on each island annually.

This year Friends of the Island Fox set a goal of raising $2,000 to fund canine distemper vaccinations for 100 foxes on two of the four islands where they are an endangered species. ($10 vaccinates an island fox against canine distemper)

Rita Mays (left) and some of the El Segundo Ladies Golf Club's Foxy Ladies

In August 2012 The Foxy Ladies, the women of the El Segundo Ladies Golf Club, took a big swing at our goal. They held a Golf Tournament to raise funds for island fox vaccinations and they raised $1,600!

Thanks to Rita Mays, the tournament organizer, and her golf-playing Foxy Ladies, 160 island foxes will be protected from canine distemper this year.

From golf tournaments to baseball games, to island trips, to lifelong learning programs for Road Scholar, our summer drive has surpassed our goal!

You helped us raise $2,960 for vaccinations ! 

Every $10 raised helps to protect an endangered island fox from this very contagious disease. This will protect 296 foxes. 

Can we make it 400? 

A 100 island foxes vaccinated on four islands? You can help make a difference by donating too.

Annual trapping is happening across the Channel Islands. Follow the story of island foxes Tani and Tiptu, and their pup Meymey, on Twitter and Facebook as they experience fall trapping and health checks.

Protecting Island Foxes from Canine Distemper Virus

Island Foxes need your Help! As the endangered populations of Channel Island foxes on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands reach recovery levels, a threat to their survival looms–the introduction of disease.

In the late 1990s canine distemper virus almost wiped out the island foxes on Santa Catalina Island. This virus is related to the measles virus that impacts people and, like that disease vaccination, is the the best protection against it. Pet dogs are vaccinated against canine distemper virus because it is highly contagious and easily transferred from one animal to another either directly or indirectly. There is no known cure for distemper and it is lethal to a high percentage of animals that become infected. Other mammals can be impacted by distemper viruses as well–sea lions, most wild members of the dog family, lions, raccoons. It was a raccoon from the mainland that transported the deadly canine distemper virus to Catalina Island.
Canine distemper is in the news again. As of April 2012, canine distemper virus caused the death of a number of kit foxes in the Mojave Desert in conjunction with an area being developed for solar energy.

People provide pathways for disease to find its way to isolated locations, like the desert and the Channel Islands. The threat of canine distemper virus reoccurring on the Channel Islands is high. To protect Channel Island foxes it is vital that at least 100 island foxes are vaccinated each year on each island.

Island foxes can be easily vaccinated during the late summer population count and health checks. But each vaccination has a cost. The vaccination shot alone costs $10 per island fox.

Help us vaccinate 200 island foxes this Fall.

Friends of the Island Fox is trying to raise $2,000 to vaccinate 200 island foxes. You can play an important role in protecting the rare Channel Island fox. Every $10 dollars helps protect the future for island foxes.