In the late 1990s, San Miguel Island off the coast of Southern California was home to just 15 island foxes, down from an estimated 450. Three decades later, the population has recovered to roughly 322 animals. The turnaround followed an intensive conservation programme that tackled several causes of the decline at once, including the removal of golden eagles, the eradication of feral pigs that had helped sustain them, the reintroduction of bald eagles and a captive-breeding programme for the foxes. The collapse was not limited to San Miguel. On neighbouring Santa Rosa Island, the fox population fell from about 1,780 to 15, while Santa Cruz Island dropped from more than 1,400 to 55. In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Island fox subspecies from the federal endangered species list, describing the recovery as the fastest successful recovery of an Endangered Species Act-listed mammal in the United States. This extraordinary conservation success demonstrates how addressing multiple interconnected ecological threats simultaneously can achieve remarkably rapid species recovery, offering valuable lessons for future endangered wildlife protection efforts.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
