The highly elusive Sierra Nevadared foxwas spotted for the first time ever in the southern portion of the California mountain range.
Biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at the Bishop Field Office managed to safely capture the animal near Mammoth Lakes in January, according to a release from the CDFW.
It marks the first time the department has been able to capture and fit one of California’s rarest and most elusive native carnivores with a GPS-tracking collar in thesouthern Sierra Nevadas.
The red fox was then released into the CA mountain range, allowing the department to closely track the fox’s movements.
Officials explained this opportunity is a huge step toward understanding the rare species and conservation needs of the remote group.
“This represents the culmination of 10 years of remote camera and scat surveys to determine the range of the fox in the southern Sierra, and three years of intensive trapping efforts,” said CDFW Environmental Scientist Julia Lawson.
Get the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.
“Everyone on the team was thrilled to see our hard work pay off,” she added. “Our goal is to use what we learn from this collared animal to work toward recovering the population in the long term.”
Check this out! CDFW biologists captured & GPS-collared an elusive Sierra Nevada Red Fox in the southern Sierra for the first time ever! Very little is known about this rare species & scientists are excited to learn more through tracking its movement.pic.twitter.com/zqxzsq6OKN
The red fox is seen in several different views running across the mountaincovered snow rangein a post on X about the capture. At one point, the animal even looks directly at the camera.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
