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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Two Special Dates for the Island Fox


April offers two special days to see island foxes. Both the Los Angeles Zoo and the Santa Barbara Zoo are celebrating special events for Earth Day that shine a spotlight on California’s endangered island fox.




Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Saturday and Sunday, April 18 & 19

“Celebrate Earth Day at the Zoo”

The L. A. Zoo will be highlighting California species during their Earth Day celebration. Friends of the Island Fox will be on hand to offer special activities both days.

  • 11:30 Radio Tracking Demonstration
  • 12:00 Island Fox Exhibit Talk
  • 1:00 Radio Tracking Demonstration
  • 1:30 Fox Health Check (See what the biologists do in the field and give a helping hand)
  • 2:00 Island Fox Exhibit Talk in Spanish

We will be located near the island fox exhibit in the zoo. Come by, say ‘Hello’ and meet an island fox.
More on L.A. Zoo hours and directions:
www.lazoo.org


Santa Barbara Zoo

Celebrate the opening of California Trails
Saturday, April 25, 2009

Come meet one of our favorite island foxes, Finnigan.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is opening their new California Trails exhibit complex. This $6 million construction project includes a renovation of the Channel Island fox exhibit and Condor Country - only the second zoo exhibit in America to display California condors.

Joining the island foxes and California condors are exhibits displaying desert tortoises, bald eagles and Rattlesnake Canyon. Rattlesnake canyon “showcases endangered reptiles and amphibians found in the Los Padres National Forest, including the red-legged frog. The [Santa Barbara] Zoo works in the field with the U. S. Forest Service to monitor this species, which has been decimated due to nonnative predators, such as bullfrogs, pollution, and habitat loss due to development. Western toads, now also facing habitat loss, are also displayed along with rattlesnakes, salamanders, newts, and other frogs.”

The renovated area also includes “the new Explore Store [which] demonstrates how buying "green" directly helps protect the habitats of these creatures, both around the world and in California.”

The new exhibits at the Santa Barbara Zoo offer an exciting opportunity to meet California’s native creatures. The special celebration on April 25th will also offer the chance to see Finnigan, the ambassador island fox. More about Finnigan.

For more information, hours and directions:
www.santabarbarazoo.org

Come out and support these two zoos that have played an important role in aiding the island fox.

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fox Festival at Santa Barbara Zoo


The Santa Barbara Zoo Island Fox Festival

Sunday, October 5, 2008
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The Santa Barbara Zoo and Roots 'n Shoots are sponsoring the Island Fox Festival this weekend. It is a great opportunity to learn about the various conservation efforts of Roots 'n Shoots youth groups and to meet a Channel Island fox.

Even though the island fox enclosure is closed for remodeling,
Finnigan, an island fox born at the Zoo last year, will be making appearances at presentations during the day. MORE on Finnigan.

Friends of the Island Fox
will be participating in the festivities during the day. Come by and visit us.

This is a wonderful family event with music, crafts and activities.

For more about the Santa Barbara Zoo and Directions

More about Roots 'n Shoots.

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Monday, April 14, 2008

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 !

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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Channel Island Fox Talk Podcast

Happy July 4th!

Friends of the Island Fox is proud to announce our new

Channel Island Fox Talk - Podcast
.

We hope to bring you interviews and updates with the people that are helping to save the endangered island fox.

Channel Island Fox Talk - Episode 1
:
  • Pat Meyer, President of FIF and the plans for Fox Talk
  • Alan Varsik, Santa Barbara Zoo Director of Animal Programs and Conservation, with an island fox update
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN to
Channel Island Fox Talk

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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Island Fox Born at Santa Barbara Zoo
















(photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Zoo)

Spring is pupping season for the endangered Channel island foxes and each birth is a celebration. While we are waiting to hear how many pups were born out on the islands, the Santa Barbara Zoo happily announced the birth of a new island fox.

The male pup was born April 12, 2007, to a pair of older parents from San Clemente Island. The mother was unable to nurse the tiny pup and therefore it is being handreared by the Santa Barbara Zoo staff.

Fitting in the palm of your hand, the pup weighed only two ounces at birth–less than 2 AA batteries. Staff members attended to feedings six times a day, 24 hours a day, and the pup quickly doubled its weight.

As of Thursday June 7, the latest update is...

“It seemed like he was perhaps premature when he was born and a bit undersized. But within a month or so, he caught up to where he needed to be. He now weighs 1.4 pounds. He still gets two bottles of formula a day but has teeth and is eating solids. He receives our omnivore diet, like the other Island foxes we have, which is a canine mix, sort of like dog chow. We supplement that with small chunks of various vegetables and with baby food (chicken and rice, vegetables with turkey, turkey dinner). We are happy that he’s doing so well and heading towards normal development. We will soon start giving him some time and exposure with our male fox whose mate died recently. Hopefully, they can be companions.”

Currently this brings the total number of island foxes in Zoos to 12. Where can you visit a zoo with island foxes.

Alan Varsik, Director of Animal Programs and Conservation at the Santa Barbara Zoo and FIF board member, adds “The birth of this pup will further enhance our ability to continue to tell the conservation story of the island fox and the unique and special habitat that it lives in.”

Captive breeding has played an important role is reestablishing island fox populations. What is captive breeding? Animal management protocol developed at the Santa Barbara Zoo and other zoo facilities has helped provide valuable information on how to keep island foxes safe and healthy in captive environments.

Working together zoos and conservation land managers are saving this endangered species. Friends of the Island Fox supports their efforts and works with them to educate the public about the island fox and its unique habitat, the Channel Islands.

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