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A Sierra Nevada red fox has been spotted at Yosemite for the first time in nearly 100 years, park officials announced Wednesday.
Park wildlife biologists went on a five-day backcountry trip to the far northern part of the park to check on previously installed motion-sensitive cameras.
As it turns out, the cameras documented a sighting of the fox on two separate instances — Dec. 13 and Jan. 4 — within the park boundaries.
“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,” said Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park superintendent, in a released statement. “National parks like Yosemite provide habitat for all wildlife, and it is encouraging to see that the red fox was sighted in the park.”
The Sierra Nevada red fox of California is one of the rarest mammals in North America, with its population likely consisting of less than 50, officials said.
The last verified sighting of a red fox was in the Sonora Pass area, north of the park, which was documented by the U.S. Forest Service in 2010.
Prior to that, the last sighting of a Sierra Nevada red fox in the region was two decades ago.
Agencies/Canadajournal
