Friends of the Island Fox

Fox Foto Friday - Stop to Sniff the Flowers

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:40:54 -0700

Across the Channel Islands island foxes are being counted, vaccinated, receiving health checks, and being fitted with refurbished or new radio collars.

Donors like you helped to provide these important conservation efforts for island foxes.

Your concern and support has brought island foxes back from the being critically endangered to thriving and enduring.

Now, even island foxes can stop to sniff the flowers.

Date with a Fox: Dr. Eve Rowland and Micro/nanoplastics Impacting Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0700

What is that dark figure in the photo and how does it relate to island foxes?

Join Friends of the Island Fox

Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 pm (PT) for

"Date with a Fox" on Zoom for

Museums & Environmental Toxicology:

Micro/nanoplastic bioaccumulation in San Nicolas Island foxes

with

Dr. Eve Rowland

FIF will soon be posted the video of this program

We've all seen bits of plastic at the beach or along a waterway, but it also comes off our clothes and containers. There is growing evidence that microplastic is impacting human health, but what about wildlife?

Dr. Eve Rowland is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy. Her current research focuses on using museum collections to better understand environmental toxicology and how wildlife populations have been impacted by novel environmental contaminants.

Micro/nanoplastics and their link to detrimental health effects are a global concern, but there has been limited research into wildlife populations. Dr. Rowland's work in collaboration with the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico brought her to investigate island fox specimens. San Nicolas Island foxes are an especially vulnerable population of conservation concern.

Dr. Rowland's work aims to better understand the extent of San Nicolas Island fox exposure to micro/nanoplastics with the hope of providing more in-depth considerations for population monitoring and understanding how plastics are impacting wildlife.

FIF is especially excited to host Dr. Rowland because her work with museum collections intersects with FIF's goal to help archive island fox specimens in collections accessible to researchers. FIF partnered with the U.S. Navy to archive San Nicolas Island fox specimens at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico in 2023 and a 2025 FIF research grant contributed to this investigation.

2025 - Santa Cruz Island fox specimens go to Museum of Southwestern Biology

Radio Collars Going on Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:54:45 -0700

Radio collars are being fitted on island foxes across the islands during annual health checks.

Island fox gets a radio collar funded by FIF donors July 2026

Friends of the Island Fox's goal for 2026 was:

15 refurbished VHF collars for San Miguel Island
12 refurbished GPS collars for Santa Rosa Island
15 new Digipeater collars and 3 antennae stations for Santa Cruz Island

You helped meet that goal and MORE !

VHF collar to be refurbished (left) and smaller digipeater collar (right)

17 refurbished VHF collars for San Miguel & Santa Rosa Islands have arrived and will be fitted on island foxes in August/September. These are old collars refitted with new parts and batteries.

12 refurbished GPS collars have already be deployed on Santa Rosa Island.

20 Digipeater radio collars (the smaller one on the right, above) and 3 antennae stations went to Santa Cruz Island. In the photo you can see that digipeater collars are typically more square and slightly smaller than VHF collars. More foxes collared equals more survival information.

FIF board member and wildlife veterinarian Jessica Sanchez and assistant FIF Secretary Kris Chatari fitted new digipeater collars on 3 island foxes in early July. They'll be telling their health check story in the next few weeks. Did island foxes appear healthy? How many pups did they see? Did they see any island spotted skunks? What did this fox have to say about his new collar? Stay tuned.

Radio-tracking collars are the best way to monitor island fox survival across the Channel Islands. Your donations play an important role in continuing this vital conservation effort.

The death of a digipeater-collared island fox on Santa Cruz was realized and the body found within 14 hours of its demise. This quick response allowed its body to be collected in time for a necropsy to determine cause of death. See the story of this individual fox

Radio collars provide proof of life. On Santa Rosa Island radio collars signaled that most collared island foxes survived the May wildfire.

Your support makes monitoring of island foxes possible.

What is the difference between VHF, GPS, and Digipeater radio collars?

Thank you to Blackwood Winery

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:51:09 -0700

During the month of June, Patrick and Emma of Blackwood Winery came forward to support island fox conservation.

The sales of their Blackwood Winery

island fox label Chardonnay,

in partnership with Bolt-to Winery,

raised over $450 for island foxes.

Island fox Chardonnay was spotted on Santa Cruz Island and at the Hollywood Bowl.

Thank you to Blackwood Winery and everyone that supported this effort.

To find out more visit blackwoodwines.com or follow them on Instagram @blackwoodwines

Every Island Fox Has a Story - Results from 2026 Island Fox Necropsy Workshop

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 16:00:00 -0700

At the Island Fox Necropsy Workshop in May, veterinary pathologist Leslie Woods, retired from UC Davis, led a group of island fox biologists, researchers, and others through the steps of an island fox necropsy (or autopsy) to understand the cause of the animals’ death. More about the Necropsy Workshop

Six island foxes from four islands were necropsied. Each tells a different and important story.

Parasitologist, Dr. Childress holds sample of parasites collected from island fox.

An island fox hit by a car is a snapshot of island fox health. For an island fox from San Nicolas Island, the immediate cause of death was car strike and a fractured skull. Further evaluation, however, revealed lungworm and that intestinal parasites (Spirocerca lupi) had traveled out of the fox’s intestines and through the blood vessels to other parts of his body. Even before its encounter with a vehicle, this island fox was critically ill. Previously, Spirocerca intestinal worms were considered a background health issue, incidental and typically not deadly. In 2026, however, nearly all island foxes on San Nicolas Island are infested with this worm and the average fox has a greater amount of its intestine impacted. These worms can cause internal bleeding and infection. Across the islands, Spirocerca has become a more frequent cause of death for island foxes. The prevalence of this canine parasite is another reason people should not take pet dogs to the Channel Islands.

A San Clemente Island fox was discovered to have a swollen paw and inflammation around a rear leg bone. The necropsy revealed its forelegs were filled with cactus spines under the skin (see photo above). While this may have brought pain to the fox, the primary cause of death was kidney failure. Kidney or renal failure is a common cause of death for island foxes, yet the reason remains unknown. More research is needed to understand if there is a virus or bacterial connection or if something else makes island foxes vulnerable to kidney disease.

A Catalina Island fox was also found to have cactus spines in its tissues, but its cause of death was related to atrophy of its rear limb muscles which compromised its mobility and led to starvation. The cactus spines were not in the muscle. The cause of the muscle atrophy in this older fox remains unknown.

A second Catalina fox, a female in her prime, died of bacterial septicemia. Bacterial infection overwhelmed her heart and kidneys. Unfortunately, the initial source of the infection remains undetermined.

Despite concerted efforts to reduce island fox access to D3 rodenticide on San Clemente Island, another island fox accessed the material and was inadvertently poisoned. Knowing that rodenticide poisoning is still happening helps land managers make changes to protect other island foxes.

FIF President Mike Watling prepares protective gear

Friends of the Island Fox President Mike Watling and Treasurer Keri Dearborn helped necropsy a Santa Cruz Island fox. This 4-year-old male fox was the first fox mortality detected with the new digipeater collar system on Santa Cruz Island. Biologists were alerted through the automated system and the fox's body was found within 14 hours of his death.

Photos are taken throughout the necropsy to provide maximum information

His teeth showed hard wear for his 4 years. The good news was he appeared healthy, with no internal parasite problems or signs of disease, but this fox suffered an extreme abdominal trauma that caused internal organs to be pushed outside of his body. He was found up on a hillside a great distance from the road and there was no evidence to suggest car strike.

Did he fall from a cliffside or a tree? There were no other signs of physical trauma. Was he kicked or struck? He was in an area with few people. Was the weakness of his abdominal wall a genetic symptom that has yet to be identified? We don't know, but across the islands, everyone will be watching for similar unusual physical issues.

At the 2026 Necropsy Workshop, no new disease threats were identified. These necropsied island foxes provided important scientific information for the health of all island fox populations:

Renal failure is a chronic island fox health problem; more research is needed to understand why.
Intestinal parasites and lungworm are growing concerns for all islands.
Prickly pear cactus spines may be more dangerous to island foxes than previously known. In the foxes examined, there was no walling off of the spines by the fox's immune system. Other island foxes have recently been found with plant matter that has migrated through their tissues into the lungs, causing death. Does greater investigation need to take place before prickly pear cactus is used in island restoration projects?
Investigation of viruses, fox immune systems, and thinking outside of the box on genetic vulnerabilities are needed going forward.

Thank you to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund for a grant supporting island fox necropsies and pathology.

For more about the participating organizations in the 2026 Island Fox Necropsy Workshop

Learning from an Island Fox's Death - Island Fox Necropsy Workshop 2026

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:26:39 -0700

Attendees viewing samples of parasites found in island foxes.

When an island fox dies, understanding the cause of death is important. Was the cause a disease that could threaten an entire island? Was the cause a human impact that could be avoided? Did a healthy appearing island fox meet with a sudden death that captured the actual state of its health like a photograph fixed in time? Was the cause of death unusual and greater understanding is needed?

In May, Friends of the Island Fox and the Santa Barbara Zoo hosted our second Island Fox Necropsy Workshop. Over the course of the day, six island foxes that died under different circumstances were examined. Physical specimens from various organs and parts of their bodies were collected and labeled for further evaluation at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab.

Veterinary pathologist Leslie Woods retired from UC Davis led the workshop with the assistance of parasitologist Dr. Jasmine Childress from the University of Wisconsin, and veterinary epidemiologist Dr. Jessica Sanchez from Utah State University and her graduate student veterinarian Kelsey Rayment.

The workshop goal was to teach field biologists how to identify probable causes of death and how to prepare specimens to be sent for further study. The workshop brought together representatives from the Channel Island land managers as well as veterinarians, technicians, and researchers from Cal State Long Beach, UC Riverside, USC, and the University of New Mexico.

The workshop helps researchers connect with how specimens are collected and builds holistic understanding of island fox physiology. Researcher Kimberly Schoenberger (USC) recently published on the brain size of island foxes working from skulls preserved at museums, but this was her first opportunity to directly encounter an island fox brain. Researcher, Eve Rowland (UNM), commented “I had a great experience. I have previous experience preparing specimens for museum collections, but it is pretty different from necropsy. … [I]t was helpful to understand how that process works.”

Dr. Childress shows collected intestinal parasites

Participants collected samples of various intestinal parasites and were able to examine and identify them under a microscope. It was a day of biological education, but also camaraderie and network building.

A huge thank you to FIF Board member Dr. Jessica Sanchez for spearheading the event, FIF Secretary Kris Chatari for organizing snacks and breaks, and to our co-hosts at the Santa Barbara Zoo, especially master organizer Nadya Seal and the veterinary team. Thank you also to the San Diego Zoo, UC Davis, and the CA Animal Health and Food Safety Lab for supplies and expertise.

Stay tuned for the findings from 6 island fox necropsies.

Hear directly from Dr. Woods about the importance of necropsy
See Dr. Sanchez give an island fox a health check
Researcher Eve Rowland will be presenting her work at the August 18, 2026 "Date with a Fox"

Vaccine for 650 Island Foxes!

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 15:32:46 -0700

You did it!

NPS wildlife camera photo

Your donations have purchased vaccine to protect 650 island foxes from canine distemper and rabies across 4 Channel Islands in 2026.

Vaccinating island foxes is an annual need. The canine distemper virus vaccine only protects them for approximately 10 months.

Vaccine to protect a single island fox costs $25.

This year $15,656 was raised by a community of caring island fox Friends. The vaccine will be used in island fox health checks over the next few months. Thank you to:

Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund

Island Fox Ambassador Projects

Recycling 4 Foxes & the Planet
Buckley Lower School students
Lincoln Elementary students

FIF Island Trip 2025 participants & a long list of private donors!

Every effort helps make a positive difference!

Blackwood Wines Helping Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 29 May 2026 16:00:00 -0700

Protecting Channel Island foxes is a community effort.

In the wake of the historic Santa Rosa Island wildfire, a local winery has stepped in to help island foxes.

Blackwood Wines is a small winery run by husband and wife duo, Patrick and Emma. Only making a couple of barrels per year, they say "our goal is to create and share our favorite styles of wines with our favorite people: friends and family."

Blackwood Wines and Bolt To Wines Island Fox Chardonnay

Their Island Fox Chardonnay is a collaboration with their friends at Bolt To Wines! The chardonnay is a blend of two vineyard sites in the Santa Rita Hills, which "come together beautifully to remind one of a French chardonnay."

Patrick & Emma say: "To help support conservation, education and recovery efforts after the fire, all profits from the sales of our 2024 Collaboration Chardonnay through the end of June will be donated to the "Island Fox - Fire Fund" managed by the Friends of the Island Fox."

To find out more visit blackwoodwines.com or follow them on Instagram @blackwoodwines

Good News - Near Containment of Santa Rosa Island Fire

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Tue, 26 May 2026 19:45:24 -0700

As of Tuesday, May 26, 2026 – The wildfire on Santa Rosa Island is 97% contained !

A historic 18,837 acres were burned, making this the largest wildfire recorded across the California Channel Islands.

Santa Rosa Island May 25, 2026

A huge thank you to the firefighters that fought and contained this fire. In places were firebreaks were carved out by small earth-moving equipment, efforts have been made to mitigate environmental disturbance–like the wattle rolls placed on the hillside in the above photo from US Wildfire.gov.

As the firefighting wraps up, we hope to hear from scientists on the ground about island foxes and other Santa Rosa Island species.

For official wildfire reports and additional photos:

link https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cacnp-santa-rosa-island-fire

Drone images flying over Santa Rosa Island Torrey pines and other still photos and maps can by found at the link above.

Santa Rosa Fire Update - Sat., May 23, 2026

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Sat, 23 May 2026 16:55:25 -0700

As the updated incident map from U.S. Wildland Fire Service shows, the edge of the active fire has been contained to the areas of bold red line. (Click on image to go to link.) The fire is considered to be 72% containment. Firefighting aircraft have been released, though they remain available if needed. The active fire edge and hot spots will be the focus over the weekend.

Drone footage of the rare Santa Rosa Island Torrey pine grove has been made public at:

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-videos-gallery/cacnp-santa-rosa-island-fire

The videos provide hopeful images of pines still standing.

Information on island foxes will not be available until the firefighting effort has concluded. FIF hopes to have more information, soon.

While the active fire seems to be coming under control, this has become the largest fire documented in modern times on the California Channel Islands with 18,379 acres burned.

Island fox footprints

Update on Santa Rosa Fire and Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:07:15 -0700

As of Thursday, May 21, 2026:

The fire on Santa Rosa Island has now burned 17,554 acres, but is reported to be 44% contained. Specific news on wildlife and rare plants remains limited. This is what we know:

Official report from government agencies 5/21/26 on the fire (https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cacnp-santa-rosa-island-fire)

Highlights: Increased humidity has assisted firefighting. Today firefighters along the western fire edge are concentrating on the Cloud Forest area and working south. The fire has passed through Water Canyon, but damage to the campground was minimal.

According the official report: "Resource Advisors continue working alongside firefighters to ensure that sensitive species and the island's cultural assets are accommodated as effectively as possible throughout firefighting operations."

The Santa Barbara Independent reports that members of the Chumash Fire Department have joined the firefighting effort and will work with Resource Advisors on protecting Chumash cultural resources.

Containment lines are being established along Telephone Road in the area of Cherry Canyon.

Regarding island foxes:

Like the rest of us, NPS biologists are watching the firefighting effort from the mainland. They hope to check on the status of collared foxes as soon as possible. From a small plane they will fly over the island searching for the signals of radio-collared island foxes and accessing survivorship.

Once it is safe for biologists to return to the island, they'll be able to determine what their population wide response and capacity will be.

Fire of this size on Santa Rosa is unprecedented since the island became part of the National Park and the full impact may not be known until island-wide island fox monitoring takes place later this summer.

When FIF has more info on specific needs for Santa Rosa Island foxes, we will post it here on islandfox.org and through our social media.

Grove of Santa Rosa Torrey Pines (at right, along ridge) before the fire.

Regarding the Torrey Pines:

The fire is believed to have burned quickly through the stand of rare Santa Rosa Island Torrey pines. In 2015, approximately 10,000 pines were counted in the single grove. Fire has not accessed these trees since the National Park was established. Firefighters report that the fire burned less intensely as it came down the slope. Preliminary firefighter reports are that pines are still standing and the grove remains. The full extent of the damage, however, will not be known until ecologists and tree experts can access the island.

Fire brings mixed impacts

Fire Burning on Santa Rosa Island Impacts Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:32:06 -0700

image source: CalFire Santa Rosa Island 2026-05-19 at 3.41.57

As of 4:30 pm Tuesday, May 19, the wildfire on Santa Rosa Island continues to burn. CalFire estimates 16,938 acres have burned so far. The fire is being fought by federal fire fighters and, today, winds have decreased allowing aircraft to assist with firefighting. (CalFire is not fighting this fire, but their website is posting updates)

While the ignition of the wildfire is officially under investigation, the blaze was most likely human-caused. Early Friday morning, flames spread quickly through dry grassland vegetation.

photo source: USCG Air Station Ventura Coast

When similar wildfire events have occurred on other Channel Islands, adult island foxes have been able to flee the fire's edge and survive. (Burnie Boots - 2007) We are hopeful that the same will be true in this case.

Unfortunately, pups born in April are currently in dens and not able to flee. In other spring-time wildfire events, pups did not survive. It is highly likely that fox pups in the fire zone will be lost.

Santa Rosa Island foxes are currently at carrying capacity for the island. The 2025 population was estimated at over 2,000 individuals. While this will most likely cause a temporary decline in the island population, island foxes and island spotted skunks have shown resilience to wildfire. Following smaller wildfire events both species have been quick to return to burned territories and able to find food resources.

Santa Rosa is the only island were island foxes are currently monitored and studied with GPS collars. These GPS-collared individuals may provide insight into exactly how island foxes react in the face of wildfire. This data may help us understand what is important for them to survive fire events.

Island fox on Santa Rosa Island

Our thoughts are with our National Park friends as they work to protect rare plants, like the Santa Rosa Island Torrey pine and other endemic island species, and to preserve infrastructure that enables biologists and researchers to study the island ecosystem.

"Date with a Fox" - Holly Gamblin and Arctic Fox Research

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:40:00 -0700

Join Friends of the Island Fox for

"Date with a Fox" on Zoom

originally Tuesday, May 12, 2026

with PhD candidate Holly Gamblin

In this "Date with a Fox," Holly Gamblin shares her research titled "Changing biomes: Implications of a rapidly shifting landscape on Arctic fox dynamics."

Holly Gamblin is a PhD Candidate at the University of Manitoba in the Biological Sciences Department, and her thesis examines the impacts of climate change on Arctic foxes. Holly's previous position as the Island Fox Project Manager on San Clemente Island inspired her to pursue this research, as the Channel Island fox conservation story demonstrates the importance of evaluating the impacts of a novel species at the community level.

Holly overseeing island fox health checks on San Clemente Island

On the Channel Islands, feral pigs facilitated the presence of golden eagles in unprecedented densities. Feral pig eradication led to a rapid reduction of prey resources for golden eagles and contributed to hyperpredation of three island fox subspecies. Island foxes on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands faced near extirpation in less than ten years.

Island fox on Santa Rosa Island

This "out of the frying pan and into the fire" invasive management scenario illustrates the importance of taking a holistic approach to invasion ecology that incorporates a broader understanding of food-web dynamics and the cascading effects that may occur at a biological community level. With the recent expansion of red foxes from the boreal forest onto the tundra, the Arctic fox serves as an excellent study species for examining a species-level response to the arrival of an ecologically similar competitor.

Holly's research takes a species-level approach to investigate patterns of space use, niche partitioning, and competition, as the arrival of a novel species, whether through range expansion or an invasion, can have cascading effects that extend to the community level. Holly will share how her role on the Channel Islands inspired her to pursue research in the Arctic, discussing how the expansion of red foxes onto the tundra and a reduction in sea ice availability may impact Arctic fox persistence.

For more on Arctic foxes compared to island foxes

Holly Gamblin "Date with a Fox" about San Clemente Island Foxes

Rescuing Island Fox Data for the Future

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:13:00 -0700

When island foxes were dying on Santa Catalina Island in 1998, their bodies were sent to Dr. Linda Munsen at the University of California at Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation. Dr. Munsen was the first to uncover canine distemper virus as the cause of island fox deaths across the island.

When island fox bodies were found on the northern islands with distinctive puncture wounds. This physical evidence of golden eagle predation was kept for future reference at UC Davis. The individual island foxes that fell prey to golden eagles also provide a genetic snapshot of a population before it plummeted toward extinction.

Checking fox ear canal during health check

From chronicling the rise of cancer in Santa Catalina Island foxes to documenting the threats from parasites and rodenticides, the island fox specimens collected at UC Davis provide data on generations of island foxes and represent generations of work done by researchers uncovering health threats to this rare California species.

Island fox blood samples

Jump to 2026 and we have a historically valuable collection of island fox biological specimens. Unfortunately, after the retirement of pathologist Dr. Leslie Woods and the untimely death last year of Dr. Munsen's protégé, researcher Dr. Patty Gaffney, this record of island fox health no longer has a home.

Coming together, the island land managers and island fox research community are acting quickly to save this valuable biological resource. Friends of the Island Fox and the Santa Barbara Zoo have summited grant applications to help pay for the transportation of frozen island fox samples to a new location and a -80 freezer to hold the specimens. Land managers are searching through stretched budgets for any available funds. Grants are still pending, but we have to move the specimens NOW.

It is a $20,000 initial endeavor to secure these specimens for future generations of researchers.

Stay tuned for updates.

FIF 2026 Research Grant Application

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:49:00 -0700

From genetics and territorial home range to dietary patterns and microplastics in the body, we are learning more every year about island fox biology, health, and the role they play in the island ecosystem.

Friends of the Island Fox is accepting applications for our

2026 Island Fox Research Grant

Applications will be accepted for amounts up to $7,000

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Download Grant Application

How will you add to island fox science?

See past research grant recipient projects.

Fox Foto Friday - Sylvie Update

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0700

"Sylvie" at the Living Desert 3/8/26

This photo of "Sylvie" the San Nicolas Island fox was taken this month at the Living Desert Zoo. When we remember back to her foot injury as a young fox in 2023, it's amazing to see her run, jump, and climb!

This x-ray shows the compound fracture that could have cost her life.

But school children, seniors, and people like you all rallied together to fund orthopedic surgery so she could live a protected, but long life. Find out more about Sylvie's Journey, her surgery, recovery and see video of her and the team of people that rescued her.

You can see Sylvie, too, at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

Without a community of friends, this little island fox would not have survived.

Together we can solve problems and save species.

Fox Foto Friday - Island Fox Status

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0800

photo courtesy of Megan Sarrail

Island foxes are a model of conservation success!

In August of 2016, island foxes were removed from federal Endangered Species status on four islands. Over the past ten years, their survival has been monitored using radio tracking collars and annual health checks.

California's February-2026 issued "State and Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California" lists island foxes as a California State "Threatened" species on all islands.

Update 3/31/26: Island fox friend and retired member of the Island Fox Conservation Working Group, Dale Steele, clarifies "All subspecies of the Island Fox have been listed as "Threatened" [by California] since 1971. The recently published list of state and federal listed species is the most recent update including other recent petition decisions but did not change or add the Island Fox.

Why are island foxes still considered "Threatened" when their numbers have recovered across the islands?

While conservation efforts have been very successful, each island fox population is unique, small and limited to a single island. Looking forward all island foxes will continue to face a range of threats–from introduced disease to climate change and human impacts.

Immediate threats to island fox survival will change, but keeping an eye on this tiny canine's challenges and successes will help to keep them thriving into the future. Conservation is a process, not a checkbox.

"Date with a Fox" on Island Fox Health Checks

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 16:29:00 -0800

Join Friends of the Island Fox for:

"Date with a Fox"

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

6:30 pm PT

with Jessica Sanchez, DVM

Island Fox Health Checks: From Exam to Research

How are wild island foxes handled during annual health checks?
What data determines a healthy island fox?
What measures are taken to safeguard island fox health into the future?
How do island foxes contribute to ongoing research investigating their health, diet, and relationship to island ecology?

In this online Zoom program, FIF Board member and wildlife veterinarian Jessica Sanchez will take us through the steps of an island fox health check. She'll detail why each step is important and give the inside scoop on what a day performing health checks is really like. See the program video below:

3 Kinds of Radio Tracking Collars to Monitor Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:23:00 -0800

Look who received a GPS tracking collar that you helped fund!

This young female island fox lives at the tip top of Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. The GPS collar she's wearing was refurbished with donations to Friends of the Island Fox. The movements of this fox, documented by her collar, will help tell the story of her life: Where and how large is her territory? What resources can she access? Combined with dietary info, it will reveal how she is interacting with the island ecosystem.

VHF Collars - The Original

As island fox populations recovered from near extinction on four islands, individuals released back into the wild were collared with VHF radio-tracking collars to monitor their survival. (video of Senior Biologist for Channel Islands Park tells the story of island fox collapse of 1998–2000) VHF collars provide the location of an individual island fox at a specific moment. Biologists in the field are able to use hand-held antennae to triangulate the island fox's location. If a radio-collared island fox stops moving for 6–8 hours, the collar has a sensor that changes the signal from a "live-animal" beep to a possible "mortality" beep. This allows the quick retrieval of island fox bodies so the cause of death can be determined and steps can be taken to protect the island's entire island fox population.

In 2026, FIF's goal is to raise funds to refurbish 15 VHF radio collars for San Miguel Island. Cost to refurbish a VHF collar: $220

GPS Collars - More Info/Bigger Price

Initially, GPS tracking collars were too large for female island foxes to wear. Today, modern GPS and battery technology provides for a smaller collar with less weight that can be worn by both male and female island foxes. GPS vs VHF collars

GPS collars document an individual island fox's location several times a day for months to a year. This data can now be downloaded remotely to allow researchers to track movement patterns, territory size, and overlap with other collared individuals without having much of an impact on wild island fox behavior. These collars include VHF capabilities and sometimes have additional abilities, like accelerometers that document movement patterns over 24 hours.

A new GPS collar for an island fox can cost $2400. GPS collars used in prior research projects for island foxes and San Joaquin kit foxes can be refurbished at a much reduced cost.

In 2026, FIF's goal is to raise funds to refurbish 12 GPS tracking collars for Santa Rosa Island. Cost to refurbish a GPS collar: $500

Island fox with new Digipeater collar in 2025

Digipeater Collars - New Technology and New Strategy

Digipeater collars include VHF capabilities, but they interact with a series of antennae stations. An island fox within signal view of the antennae is automatically check-in and reported as alive and well. Digipeater collars don't record precise movement like GPS collars, but they monitor island fox survival while reducing staffing hours in the field. More on digipeater collars and system

Sustainable monitoring of island fox survival requires reducing costs. FIF is assisting with the transition to monitoring island foxes on Santa Cruz Island with the Digipeater system.

FIF has already raised funds for 15 new Digipeater collars in 2026. Now our goal is to raise funds for 3 additional antennae stations ($2000 each).

No matter the type of tracking collar, protecting island foxes requires monitoring! Tracking collars provide the best opportunity to monitor island foxes while they live their wild lives.

FIF Research Grant Expands Investigation of Link Between Island Fox Genetics and Health

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:51:00 -0800

Friends of the Island Fox happily announces that the 2025 Research Grant was awarded to Kimberly Schoenberger to expand her investigation of connections between island fox genetics and health: Transcriptomics of the Channel Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) through RNA-seq.

Schoenberger is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California and works with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This second year of grant support will fund RNA genetic sequencing of an additional 40 foxes from across all six Channel Islands.

The initial 48 island foxes were all adults who had never been vaccinated. (First year of study) This second group includes juveniles and adults that had been previously vaccinated.

Health checks have revealed that San Nicolas Island foxes have similar ear mite infestation to Catalina Island foxes, but the foxes on San Nic do not develop microbial monocultures or cancerous tumors in their ears. Genetically influenced immune-system response may offer insight into why some island populations face health threats that others do not. Similar ear mite infestation with reduced microbial diversity has been found on San Clemente Island and the population there has faced survival declines in the last three years. (More on microbiome and connection to cancer in Catalina Island fox).

Examination of an island fox's ear canal with an otoscope

Schoenberger's RNA research may also provide noninvasive ways to detect dangerous amounts of internal parasites in island foxes. Examination of immune transcriptomes in dogs has shown that increases in specific interleukins signal the presence of intestinal worms. Currently island foxes are challenged by intestinal parasites, especially spirocerca on San Nicolas Island, an ancanthocephalin on San Miguel Island, and possibly a new parasite on Santa Rosa Island.

Researchers like Kimberly Schoenberger are vital to healthy island fox populations. Insight from her work will help inform land managers and protect island foxes into the future.

Your donations make FIF's support for research possible.

Vaccinating Island Foxes is an Annual Need

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 1 Dec 2025 18:32:00 -0800

Companion dogs are vaccinated against canine distemper annually and so are island foxes.

This Since June biologists have been out in the field across the Channel Islands vaccinating island foxes against rabies and canine distemper virus. The vaccine being administered across 4 islands was provided by donors like you. Who's helping fund vaccinations?

Did you know?

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a dog version of the measles virus. It's highly contagious like measles, entering the body through the respiratory system. New research suggests that measles from humans was transferred to dogs 500 years ago during the Spanish colonization of South America.

Distemper spreads rapidly through wildlife populations. CDV infects dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes, but also raccoons, ferrets, and skunks. The virus is especially deadly to African and Asian species of big cats (lions, leopards, tigers, etc.)

CDV is so lethal to island foxes, they can't withstand the vaccine created for domestic dogs. Island foxes are treated with a dead-virus vaccine that is made in small batches, by one company, and is used by a short list of endangered species: black-footed ferret, giant panda, Iberian lynx, African wild dog, African lion, all tiger species, and other large cats.

A new study from Penn State University has found evidence that canine distemper virus is influencing grey wolf evolution. A gene mutation, CPD103, creates a black coat in grey wolves. This mutation also makes the lungs less susceptible to the introduction of disease. Black-colored grey wolves are less likely to become infected with CDV. In areas where CDV occurs in high rates, entire wolf populations become darker in color, because the lighter colored individuals are lost to the disease. Read more about this study.

Health efforts for rare wildlife go hand-in-hand with research. FIF raises funds to vaccinate island foxes and to investigate important health research.

"Date with a Fox" - Sylvie's Story

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 3 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0800

Do you remember this island fox?

In the Fall of 2023 this young female island fox was found injured on San Nicolas Island. Her story demonstrates the power of people working together toward a positive goal. Federal and state governmental agencies, biologists, zoos, private individuals, and Friends of the Island Fox donors, all came together to give this island fox a second chance.

See the virtual program

Date with a Fox - Sylvie's Story

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025

Link to a Japanese translation of this video program - courtesy of @cincy_aki

We heard from the team that found Sylvie and made all of the necessary connections to facilitate her transfer to the mainland.

Francesca Ferrara, Natural Resource Specialist, Naval Base Ventura County

Robyn Powers, consulting biologist, SWCA Environmental Consulting

V.P. of Animal Care and Health at the Santa Barbara Zoo, veterinarian Julie Barnes detailed the medical efforts that were needed to treat Sylvie's injured foot. You'll see the results from the orthopedic surgery that donors like you helped to pay for.

How is Sylvie today?

Living Desert Animal Care Curator, Heather Down, updates us on Sylvie's recovery.

FIF is Thankful for donors like you that helped to make this successful story possible.

Celebrating 20 Years of Island Fox Conservation and Looking to the Future

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:34:00 -0700

Pat Meyer meets Jane Goodall in 2006

Friends of the Island Fox (FIF) was founded in 2005, when Channel Island foxes were critically endangered on four islands.

See a short history of the organization presented during our August "Date with a Fox" on-line program and hear from FIF Board member Justin Purnell about a fieldwork study program for high school students that provides a personal experience with the island ecosystem.

Friends of the Island Fox is partnering with the Field Studies Cooperative to provide more students with this life-changing opportunity.

New Technology for Monitoring Island Foxes

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Monitoring island fox survival is vital to protecting the vulnerable and small populations on six separate Channel Islands. (Current island fox status)

Checking for the individual radio signals from 50–60 individual island foxes across an entire island every two weeks, can require many staff hours. Reducing staffing hours would make island-fox monitoring less expensive?

Enter a new technology referred to as "Digipeater." The collar pictured above is one of the 10 new Digipeater radio collars funded by FIF and fitted on Santa Cruz Island foxes this summer. While the collar size is similar to VHF radio-tracking collars, the new collars weigh slightly less and have an additional ability: they interact with stationary digital repeating antennae in the field.

Multiple times a day, receivers on the antenna scan for fox-collar signals. When a signal is picked up, it's relayed from one antennae to another until it reaches a base station. The base station transmits information directly to biologists. A biologist doesn't have to be in the field to know that all collared island foxes are active and well.

If an island fox goes for a number of days without being picked up by the automated system, biologists can go into the field looking for the signal from that specific fox.

The U.S. Navy on San Clement Island has been using Digipeaters for several years. Last summer during a wildfire that burned across a third of the island, biologists were restricted from going into the field. As the low-burning wildfire spread, the Digipeaters continued to collect status information on island foxes. From a safe location biologists could detect island fox activity and survival. No collared island foxes died in the wildfire.

This Santa Cruz Island fox was fitted with a "Digipeater" collar in July. Her new collar reports in daily and requires less in-person labor. It's a win-win for monitoring island foxes.

These collars are possible, because of donors like you.

Digipeater collars are $350 each and are made locally in Southern California.

Island Fox Status Update 2025

islandfoxnews@gmail.com (Friends of the Island Fox, Inc and Eclipse-1 Media) — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 15:57:00 -0700

In 2024, island foxes remained healthy. Normal rainfall levels led to population balancing; high density populations decreased in number and low density populations increased. San Clemente Island, however, realized a third consecutive year of population decline. Concern for these island foxes grows because a specific cause for the decline remains unknown.

island fox on San Clemente Island

The following is an update across the Channel Islands from notes compiled by Friends of the Island Fox at the Island Fox Conservation Working Group Meeting May 15, 2025 hosted at the Santa Barbara Zoo (hybrid meeting).

Reported population numbers are the official estimates submitted by the land managers and calculated by them from island foxes captured for health checks June 2024–January 2025. (How island foxes are captured and given health checks)

Overview: While food and shelter resources for island foxes were good across the islands in 2024, dry conditions were more prevalent on San Clemente Island and a wildfire burned a third of the island. Monitoring systems documented island foxes surviving the fire, but it is possible the fire contributed to the low number of pups documented. Weather extremes are becoming more frequent across the islands.

Fox Density: Because island size, weather, and habitat varies from island to island, comparing island fox density can be more informative than comparing population sizes. Fox density reflects the number of island foxes found within a square kilometer (per sq km). (More on density).

A density of 8–12 island foxes per sq km, is the fairly high density of individual animals typically found across the Channel Islands. When a density rises above this range, as San Miguel Island did in 2023 (see graphic above), it is not surprising when the population adjusts down the following year, especially if weather conditions are not optimum for growing native fruit and supplying large amounts of insect and rodent prey.

The two smallest islands with island foxes, San Miguel and San Nicolas, remain most stable when their population density is around 8 island foxes per sq km. Food resources on these smaller islands are never as plentiful as on the larger islands. While the population number decline on San Miguel may seem concerning, the downward adjustment in density creates a more sustainable population.

The larger islands, Santa Rosa, Santa Catalina, and Santa Cruz provide greater biodiversity of resources and can maintain higher island fox population densities. Densities over 12 foxes per sq km, however, can mean that some island foxes are pushed to very small territories with lower quality resources. Drought, flooding, or the introduction of disease, often has a greater negative impact when foxes are living in high density.

The density graphic above also shows how thin the island fox density was on San Clemente Island in 2023 and 2024. Everyone is watching this island closely and investigating leads on the causes.

Pup on Northern Islands in August 2024

In 2025, the leading threats to island foxes are:

reduced funding for Federal lands: Monitoring island foxes requires staffing. Reductions in Federal funding for National Park staffing, especially biologists, and unknown budgetary cuts affecting U.S. Navy base environmental efforts threatens island fox health checks and monitoring in 2025. Across Federal lands health checks began early in hopes of completing them before funding cuts were enacted. The ability to continue monitoring on Santa Rosa, San Miguel, San Clemente, and San Nicolas Islands remains in jeopardy for 2026 and into the future.
biosecurity: Annual vaccination of island foxes for the deadly canine distemper virus remains a priority. If health checks are discontinued on Federal lands, there will be no annual opportunity for vaccination. Additionally, canine adenovirus (dog flu) has swept across several islands and may be impacting pup survival.
climate change: Weather extremes not only influence island fox health and resources, they also impact island fox monitoring. The heavy rains of 2023 limited access to Santa Cruz Island and the data collected that year led to a false representation of an upward spike in population numbers. Quality monitoring requires consistency in data collection. Monitoring data in 2024 revealed a stable population on Santa Cruz–mitigating the spike. This highlights the importance of annually collected data to provide the most accurate depiction of island fox population trends across the islands.

island fox having teeth examined during a health check

Greatest Concern: We know how quickly an entire population of island foxes can be impacted by disease, resource loss, or an introduced threat. Quality monitoring is the cornerstone of island fox recovery success. Millions of dollars invested in island fox recovery could be swept away to save a few $100,000 in annual monitoring costs.

Smaller Islands

Because of the amount of years tracked, the graph above shows population estimates for even years only. While smaller populations can be more volatile, San Nicolas and San Miguel Islands remain stable.

San Miguel Island (lime green line): The downward adjustment of the population from an estimated 525 individual island foxes to 322 reflects a rebalancing to a more sustainable population density. Trends suggest the resources on the island can support 300–450 foxes. Pup numbers were typical in 2024 and individual health appeared good.

San Nicolas Island (pink line): The population remained stable. General health remained good and pup numbers increased. Forty percent of the population shows antibodies for exposure to adenovirus. Ear mites are prevalent. In 2025 foxes receiving health checks will be treated with a topical intervention, following protocols developed on Catalina Island. The hope is to reduce ear mite infestation and increase overall health.

San Clemente Island (blue line): Adult survival dropped from an 89% chance of surviving the year to 69%, and only 7 pups were documented in 2024. Investigations continue into pup survival, the impacts of adenovirus (exposure now prevalent in 80% of the population), and the quality of food resources. The wildfire may have also contributed to population decline. Car strikes add an additional threat to survival. Providing necropsies of individuals killed by vehicles may be vital to identifying health concerns that have gone undetected.

Larger Islands

Because of the amount of years tracked, the graph above shows population estimates for even years only. As all of these islands hover at carrying capacity, their populations remain stable.

Santa Catalina Island (red line): This population increased slightly in 2024. Treating island foxes for ear mites has reduced cancerous tumors and increased overall health. Introduced adenovirus, corona, herpes, and parvo viruses all continue to decline. Biosecurity threats are greatest to this island, but no raccoons or other invasive species were detected on the island in 2024. The greatest threats to island foxes on this island are people and their pets. Eighteen island foxes were killed by cars and two were attacked by dogs. Rodenticide and unintended poisoning is a growing threat on all human-inhabited islands.

Santa Rosa Island (pink line with black centers): This island currently has the greatest island fox density–13.2 island foxes per sq km. As the density has increased, adult annual survival has declined slightly to a 72% chance of surviving the year. How this high density impacts available resources and fox territory is under investigation this summer with a group of known individual foxes wearing GPS tracking collars and being monitored for diet and health.

Santa Cruz Island (black line): This island continues to have the largest island fox population. As expected, the estimate of over 4,000 individuals in 2023 was an anomaly created by not being able to count foxes at historic counting locations because of stormy weather and flooding. Returning to count in the historic spots in 2024 resulted in a scientifically supportable and healthy population estimate of 3,086.

Your donations help fund vaccinations and radio collars for monitoring island foxes.

As July and August unfold, biologists are in the field vaccinating island foxes and fitting them with radio-tracking collars funded by Friends of the Island Fox.

Healthy island foxes depend on people like you supporting conservation efforts.