M67 Final California Channel Island Fox Release

Photos and text by Keri Dearborn

In the past few weeks, 31 island foxes from the Santa Rosa Island breeding facility have been returned to the wild.

November 7, 2008 - as Pat Meyer and Friends of the Island Fox, Inc. board members and members of the press looked on, National Park Service biologist Tim Coonan opened the door to freedom for M67. The little 6 year-old male fox was born in the captive breeding facility and over the years had been paired with several females. Now, he sat gazing at the wide open expanse around him.




After a quick look over his shoulder, the little island fox bounded off through the low bushes. As he disappeared over a small hill, we heard the hardy beep, beep, beep of the signal from his radio tracking collar. This historic little fox has returned to the wild wearing a radio collar funded by donations to Friends of the Island Fox.

Congratulations to the Channel Islands National Park, NPS staff, vets, techs, friends,
and the Friends of the Island Fox, Inc