Radio Collars Arrive for Summer Health Checks!

You Did It!

 

These refurbished radio collars are being prepared for deployment during island fox health checks on San Miguel Island in the next few weeks.

The Channel Islands National Park fox biologists tie bright pink ribbons on radio collars and mark the ribbon with the collar's ID number and radio frequency. Pink makes it easy to find the collar in a dark backpack. The ribbon can quickly be removed and the information on it entered into field notes, after the island fox has been released.

 

Having the info on the ribbon helps the biologist minimize the time they spend physically in contact with the island fox.

 

Island foxes do not have to be tranquilized during health checks. Special muzzles that cover their eyes help to keep them calm. However, it is a priority that wild island foxes are handled only when necessary and for the shortest amount of time possible.

 

Donors like you funded:

• 26 refurbished radio collars 
• 20 new radio collars
• and $1,036 in rabies vaccine (to vaccinate 650 island foxes)
  

that arrived this month for deployment across San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands. Rabies vaccinations will also protect Santa Catalina Island foxes.

Radio collars monitor island fox survival

More about island fox health checks

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