Latest news with #SierraNevadaRedFox
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Near-Extinct Mammal Called One of 'Rarest' in the World Caught on Camera in National Park
A critically endangered fox, called "one of the rarest mammals in the world," was recently caught on camera by a Northern California photographer in a National Park. As SFGate reported, wildlife photographer Randy Robbins caught incredibly rare footage of a Sierra Nevada red fox. While estimates vary, researchers believed there to be less than 100 individuals of its species left in the wild. The footage was taken last winter in Lassen Volcanic National Park in rural northeastern California. "Sierra Nevada red foxes are uniquely adapted to life at high elevations, sporting thick coats and dense fur that transforms their paws into snowshoes," the Yosemite Conservancy reported. "But being well-suited to a cold, snowy climate isn't enough to protect this mammal. The fox, which was officially designated as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in 2021, is extremely rare in its namesake range." Related: 3 Grizzly Bears Dead in 2 Separate National Park Incidents Robbins told SFGate that the footage was captured by a camera set up in the national park in October 2024. He believes the footage is from between November and December of last year. 'I was like 'Man, this is just a beautiful scene.' It was kind of overlooking the whole background. It was just perfect,' he said 'when I got it home on the computer was really when I realized this is special.' Check out Robbins' footage below, and read more about his discovery over on SFGate. Near-Extinct Mammal Called One of 'Rarest' in the World Caught on Camera in National Park first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2025
Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Elusive creature captured on video — at 8,500 feet of elevation in CA. See it
A wildlife photographer is one step closer to his mission of photographing an extremely rare creature in the mountains of California. After three years of scouting, Randy Robbins filmed a subspecies of red fox that lives only in high elevations in the Sierra Nevada mountains this past winter, the photographer said in a video posted to his YouTube account on June 14. 'The Sierra Nevada Red Fox is an extremely rare and endangered subspecies of red fox native to very high elevation subalpine terrain along the Sierra crest and north into the Oregon Cascades,' a caption on Randy Robbins Photography's video says. 'There are an estimated 70 individuals remaining in California, 20-30 of which live in the Mt. Lassen area within Lassen Volcanic National Park. Operating under permit with the park service, I have spent three years pursuing footage and photos of the Lassen population. This camera spent the winter in this location at 8500' on a promising rock ledge…' The video shows a fluffy fox walking right up to the snowy ledge to take in the view of the valley below. Another clip shot about a week later after some snow had melted on the rock ledge shows a fox taking the same route, then heading in the other direction for a stretch before returning to perch and then curl up on the ledge overlooking the valley. 'The scientists I've been talking to are very excited about it because it shows behavior,' Robbins told McClatchy News over the phone. 'You usually only get a fleeting glimpse, at night, running by a camera. So this is like three minutes of watching one be a fox, hanging out on a rock, sunning itself.' Robbins believes the foxes 'like to look out over their terrain' and oversee their environment — as much as they enjoy warming themselves on the rock and 'soaking up the sun.' 'This is beautiful to watch,' someone said in the video comments. 'It is nice to see this relaxed fox enjoying the view. May his wilderness never be disturbed.' One person commented saying they loved seeing the fox return 'to patrol their territory.' Several people thought it looked like the fox was simply enjoying the view from its high altitude perch. 'I love how he/she curled up on that rock!' someone said. 'Really must love that view!' Lassen Volcanic National Park is about a 180-mile drive north from Sacramento.
