https://country105.com/news/4371530/swift-foxes-back-from-extinction-canada/
Swift foxes bounce back from extinction in Canada
There is now hope for a species once considered extinct after conservationists found a den of swift foxes in southeastern Alberta.
Smaller than house cats and able to run 60 kilometres per hour, the foxes were once abundant in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
But in the 1930s, they were declared extinct in Canada because the growth of large-scale agriculture led to the erosion of their habitat.
Then in the 1970s, captive breeding programs began with foxes brought in from the United States.
Medicine Hat Provinical Park on the border
of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada(lower right on map), the
site of the Canadian Nature Conservancy land purchase
that now is the home of Swift Foxes
The Nature Conservancy of Canada bought land just south of Medicine Hat in 2010, knowing it could be a good fox home, and replaced the fencing to make it wildlife-friendly.
Medicine Hat Provinical Park on the border
of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada(lower right on map), the
site of the Canadian Nature Conservancy land purchase
that now is the home of Swift Foxes
The Nature Conservancy of Canada bought land just south of Medicine Hat in 2010, knowing it could be a good fox home, and replaced the fencing to make it wildlife-friendly.
Now, there are about 100 swift foxes living in Alberta’s wild; most are offspring of the released animals.
“There’s a small but relatively stable population that seems to be thriving,” said Carys Richards, with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
But it’s hard to assess these animals, she added.
“Swift foxes are North America’s smallest canine and they are the wild dog that spends the most time in its den,” Richards said. “They’re also nocturnal predators so sometimes it can be really hard to see them.
“This makes the protection of Canada’s grasslands so important for the survival of species like the swift fox that depend on these habitats for their survival,” Richards explained.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is not disclosing the exact location of their property so that people don’t disturb the swift foxes.
“We want to allow these animals — there are some puppies the foxes have — to grow up unimpeded by human disturbances and just really thrive on the landscape,” she said.
For more information on conservation efforts, visit natureconservancy.ca.
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Swift foxes back from the brink of extinction in Canada
Swift foxes, recently believed to have been extinct in Canada, have made a shocking return.
Swift foxes are small, cat sized mammals, which are found in the southern States of the USA, but were thought to have disappeared from their Canadian habitat some time ago (around the 1930s, when agriculture destroyed much of their natural habitat).
On Saturday, August 4th, Carys Richards, a representative of the Nature Conservancy of Canada spoke with Global News Canada, about a recent discovery which has changed the narrative.
On Saturday, August 4th, Carys Richards, a representative of the Nature Conservancy of Canada spoke with Global News Canada, about a recent discovery which has changed the narrative.
A den swift foxes has been spotted in southern Alberta, where they once flourished (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the areas in which the animal was previously found in abundance), but now there are estimated to be ‘about 100 swift foxes living in Alberta’s wild‘.
“There’s a small but relatively stable population that seems to be thriving,” says Richards, “Swift foxes are North America’s smallest canine and they are the wild dog that spends the most time in its den. They’re also nocturnal predators so sometimes it can be really hard to see them.”
Richards enthused that the growth in population stemmed from animals which were released from captivity, but added that monitoring them may prove to be challenging.
“So, not only are they extremely rare, but the chances of actually spotting them can be quite difficult. But by conserving grasslands, that’s how we’re going to provide habitats to species like the swift fox.”
‘It’s now more important than ever to think about how we’re conserving natural land — especially with all the agricultural use, Canada’s grasslands are the “world’s most endangered ecosystem.” – ‘Kaylen Small, reporter for Global News Canada
‘It’s now more important than ever to think about how we’re conserving natural land — especially with all the agricultural use, Canada’s grasslands are the “world’s most endangered ecosystem.” – ‘Kaylen Small, reporter for Global News Canada
“This makes the protection of Canada’s grasslands so important for the survival of species like the swift fox that depend on these habitats for their survival,” added Richards.
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