High Sierra Topix

News Release Date: January 28, 2015
Fox photographed with remote motion-sensitive camera

Yosemite National Park is excited to report the first confirmed sighting in the park of a rare Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) in nearly 100 years. Park wildlife biologists had gone on a five-day backcountry trip to the far northern part of the park to check on previously deployed motion-sensitive cameras. They documented a sighting of the fox on two separate instances (December 13, 2014 and January 4, 2015) within the park boundary. The Sierra Nevada red fox of California is one of the rarest mammals in North America, likely consisting of fewer than 50 individuals.

“We are thrilled to hear about the sighting of the Sierra Nevada red fox, one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada,” stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent. “National parks like Yosemite provide habitat for all wildlife and it is encouraging to see that the red fox was sighted in the park.”

“Confirmation of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite National Park’s vast alpine wilderness provides an opportunity to join research partners in helping to protect this imperiled animal,” stated Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist in Yosemite National Park. “We’re excited to work across our boundary to join efforts with other researchers that will ultimately give these foxes the best chances for recovery.”

Read More: http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/rare-s ... l-park.htm

Nice to see. I have a fox that runs through my pasture about twice a month on it's mission, whatever that is.

Hair snares: there must be like 100 in YNP. One for every grad biology student working on a project there. One is for Bear above Glen Aulin at the end of the meadow East of the trail before the slabs. It's a 4'x4' section of barbed wire with a deer carcass in the middle. That was 2008. Sure the carcass is gone by now. I like the camera thing better.

Rare and hard to spot.

I have lived in the Lassen area for 35 years and had fleeting glimpses of maybe two -- both at dusk. At least I think they were the Sierra Red Fox.

And I saw a regular fox on the way to work to work this morning -- munching on a roadside deer carcass.

Rare wildlife making a comeback in the area is always a good thing.....

I'm always a little surprised at some of these claims of "first in 100 years" or something. There's a couple (only) of red fox sightings at Rock Creek in Sequoia Park -- both by reputable biologists. Same with Wolverine. Much fuss was made about the Tahoe area sightings as 100 years or something, but there's a bunch of pretty good sightings in both Yosemite and Sequoia Kings over the years (one from a member of this forum, but forgot who).

Not to say they're not rare, but they should give credit to some of the people who spend a lot of time out there... .