The Sierra Nevada red fox has been thought to be extinct for some time now, but has recently been sighted (and caught on camera, no less) by the US Forest Service near Sonora Pass in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. A motion-activated camera caught the fox chasing after a bait bag on August 11.
Though the image is slightly blown-out, federal wildlife technicians did not have much difficulty identifying the small red fox caught on camera. Its white-tipped tail, red-colored head, black ear backs, and black “socks” were a few of the distinguishing characteristics. Further analysis of the bait bag at UC Davis indicated that the saliva samples found on the bag match the DNA profile of the Sierra Nevada red fox.
This subspecies of red fox was not officially declared extinct, but it had been quite some time since one had been spotted, leading wildlife experts in the area to expect the worst. The sighting is reassurance that the red fox is not completely wiped out, though it is estimated that only 20 Sierra Nevada red foxes remain on the planet, struggling to survive in the Lassen Peak area of California.
-via Top News
Photo credit: US Forest Service
