The Santa Catalina Island Fox population is growing at an alarming rate and officials are considering removing the fox from the endangered species list.
The Santa Catalina Island Fox is the smallest known fox species. The fox species of the island was put on the endangered list followed by an outbreak of canine distemper, a viral disease, which killed almost 90 percent of the mammal's population.
In 1999, the fox population was more than 1,300 but in 2000 the population declined to just about 100 animals. In 2013 authorities counted 362 foxes, which included 68 pups. In 2014, authorities counted 342 animals, which included just 19 pups. Authorities suggest that now there are about 1,700 foxes on the island.
The population rebound of the fox in Santa Catalina is a great success for conservationists. Biologists explain that the lack of natural predator may have helped in the spike of the island fox population in Santa Catalina. However, with the growth in the fox population there is also an increased fox interaction with the humans, which may pose a threat to the island fox.
The fox are safe without a natural predator. However, it seems that the fox are not afraid of human interactions as well.
"I once honked the horn long and loud to get one out from under my car. It didn't budge," says Dave Garcelon, president of the Institute for Wildlife Studies.
Human interactions are also resulting in the death of the fox population. Authorities suggest that in 2014 about 21 foxes on the island died after being hit by vehicles. Two foxes drowned in water containers that were not covered, one fox was also mauled by a pet dog, and another fox died consuming rat poison. Moreover, nine foxes were found dead near trashcans and the reason of their death was not known.
The Catalina Island Conservancy has installed "fox crossing" signals on the island for motorists to avoid any accident with foxes. The authority has also raised funds and provided trash cans that are animal proof to avoid foxes feeding upon human trash.
The conservation efforts coupled with the lack of natural predator seems to have contributed to the growth of fox population in Santa Catalina. Officials believe that the foxes can now be taken off the endangered species list.
Photo: Brian Uhreen | Flickr
