New family of previously eradicated swift foxes found
A family of at least five swift foxes — a species once extinct in Canada — has been found living in Alberta’s grasslands, suggesting conservation efforts in the area continue to be successful.
The family was spotted south of Medicine Hat about 50 kilometres from the Saskatchewan border. Their exact location can’t be disclosed because the land is owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), which wants to keep the foxes as safe as possible.
When the NCC purchased the property in 2010, no swift foxes lived there. The animals have been seen in the surrounding area since, but according to Alberta’s NCC communication co-ordinator Carys Richards, each new sighting is exciting because it shows conservation efforts are working.
“This is a species that was once wiped out in Alberta so the fact that we’re starting to see them again is a really great conservation success story,” she said.
Reaching a maximum weight of seven pounds, the full-grown swift fox is often mistaken for a baby coyote. But they’re fast, travelling up to 60 km/ h, lending to the “swift” in their name.
The species was declared eradicated from Canada in 1930 and in 1983 a captive breeding program started with populations from the United States. By 1997 more than 900 swift foxes were reintroduced into Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Today, it’s expected there are about 100 swift foxes living in Alberta, which Richards describes as a “very small but stable population.”
“I think the fact that they’ve decided to move onto this land means we’ve done a really good job of keeping it as natural as possible and providing amazing habitat,” she said. “This property is a success so now we want to keep expanding on this.”
Megan Jensen, NCC’s natural area manager for southeast Alberta, said seeing more swift foxes in the area is part of a bigger story around the importance of protecting the grasslands.
“Southern Alberta is home to over 75 per cent of Alberta’s species at risk and this is because of the decline in our grasslands,” she said. “It’s really important to know that our grasslands are important and (swift foxes) are one of the animals that live in our grasslands.”
Historically, agricultural practices have damaged the grassland habitat and Jensen said the foxes are now particularly susceptible to being hit by cars because they make their dens near the side of the road.
Part of the swift fox conservation efforts includes a survey conducted every few years to keep track of and monitor the populations in Canada.
Lacey Hébert, a conservation research field technician with the Calgary Zoo who is involved in the survey, said the foxes are an iconic part of the grassland ecosystem.
“In Canada we try to conserve biodiversity and (the swift foxes) are a part of it,” she said. “Without them on the landscape it’s just not quite the grasslands that we know.”