Happy Birthday to Finnigan, The Island Fox

One of our favorite island foxes just turned 1 year old.

Finnigan, or Finn for short, was born last year at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Because his mother is an older fox, she did not nurse him and the Zoo staff had to hand raise him. See Finn's baby picture.

Fortunately this little island fox had the perfect personality to become an educational representative for all of his wild cousins. Finn makes guest appearances at special events at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

The Santa Barbara Zoo actively participates in island fox conservation and is the home of Finnigan, his parents, and two other island foxes. For more information on visiting the Santa Barbara Zoo and seeing the island foxes that live there.

Friends of the Island Fox sends our best wishes to a hard working island fox.

Happy, Healthy, First Birthday, Finnigan !

Friends of the Island Fox Supports Integrated Fox Conference

Saving the endangered island fox requires the efforts of caring and knowledgeable individuals from around the country. The Integrated Fox Conference brings all of these people together once a year.

The third week in June, biologists and scientists will meet with conservation professionals and land managers for each of the Channel Islands to report on the current status of all six subspecies of island fox and to make conservation decisions for the upcoming year.

To support the efforts of the Integrated Fox Conference, this year Friends of the Island Fox is providing a grant to the U. S. National Park Service to help offset the transportation costs of the four veterinarians that provide care to the foxes on the islands and who do veterinary laboratory work during the year. These devoted people help maintain the health of island foxes and move quickly when disease threatens this endangered population.

• Karl Hill, DVM - Santa Barbara Zoo
• Karen Blumenshine, DVM - Wildlife Services Associates
  
• Winston Vickers, DVM - Institute for Wildlife Studies
• Linda Munson, DVM-PMI - University of California, Davis

The Integrated Fox Conference is sure to bring to light unexpected successes and new conservation challenges regarding the island fox. FIF will post a summary of the Conference, including an update on the status of island foxes on Catalina Island after the fire.

FIF thanks all of you who have donated toward island fox conservation during the first half of 2007. Your contributions have made this grant possible.

See last year’s

• “Highlights from the Integrated Fox Conference, June 20-22, 2006” Highlights 2006
• Mid year population UPDATE

How Can You Help the Island Fox ?

The island fox lives on six of California’s Channel Islands and no where else in the world. While pups like these are helping increase the various island populations, they are still highly endangered.For the most recent fox status from the northern islands read the December Island Fox Update

You can help the island fox by supporting conservation efforts:

• captive breeding programs
• current conservation
• bald eagle recovery
  

Through Friends of the Island Fox you can also help to fund important island fox management, public education and research.


Fox Veterinarian - $5,000 helps pay for veterinarian visits to the islands to care for sick foxes in the captive breeding facility, conduct annual physicals and administer vaccinations.

Fox Guardian – $2,500 helps fund signs at Channel Island landings to educate visitors and ensure the safety and health of island foxes.

Fox Researcher – $1,000 helps provide funding for island fox research projects.

Fox Ambassador – $500 pays for a teaching trunk to be loaned to teachers in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties for classroom education about the island fox and the California Channel Islands.

Fox Tracker – $250 buys a radio collar so a released island fox can be tracked to ensure its safety.

Fox Teacher – $100 purchases needed educational materials to be used in classroom and community programs.

Donations of any size help the cause to SAVE THE ISLAND FOX. You can donate directly through the PayPal or Network for Good buttons in the upper right corner or through the mail. (Download brochure)

You can also help by inviting Friends of the Island Fox representatives to speak at your community group or school.

Schools, classrooms or youth groups can also participate in the Fox Ambassador Program as a conservation or Earth Day Project.

Contact us by phone at (805) 386-0386 or e-mail: admin@islandfox.org

You can also help the island fox by supporting zoological facilities that house San Clemente Island foxes.

To join the Island Fox News e-mail list, send a request to islandfoxnews@gmail.com

Working Together We Can Save The Island Fox