In the late 1990s, golden eagle predation left 15 foxes on Santa Rosa Island; after the eagles were removed, numbers recovered to about 1,200 by 2015

How feral pigs, golden eagles, and one small fox were linked on California’s Channel Islands, and how teamwork brought the foxes back. Santa Rosa Island’s island fox population fell from an estimated 1,780 in 1994 to just 15 in the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. By 2015, the population had rebounded to about 1,200 following a coordinated conservation effort.After island fox populations plunged by more than 90% on parts of California’s Channel Islands, a coordinated recovery effort addressed predation, disease and habitat pressures. (Wikimedia Commons)In 2016, three island fox subspecies from San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands were removed from the Endangered Species Act list, in what the Interior Department described as the fastest recovery of any mammal listed under the law. The crisis had affected four of California’s Channel Islands, with fox populations declining by more than 90% in some locations. On San Miguel Island, numbers fell from about 450 to just 15, while Santa Cruz Island’s population dropped from more than 1,400 to 55. On Santa Rosa, the population reached a low of 15. Golden eagle predation, enabled in part by changes in the islands’ food web after bald eagle populations declined because of DDT exposure, contributed to the collapse. A canine distemper outbreak also threatened foxes on Santa Catalina Island.How feral pigs became part of the storyThe arrival of golden eagles on the northern Channel Islands raised questions about what had attracted the predators to the area. A 2001 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Gary Roemer, Josh Donlan, and Franck Courchamp identified introduced feral pigs as a factor that helped sustain the eagles. The pigs provided an abundant food source, allowing the predators to remain on the islands and hunt native animals, including island foxes.Deep DiveThe researchers trapped and monitored foxes and island spotted skunks on Santa Cruz Island from 1993 through 1999. Fox numbers declined sharply during that period, reaching their lowest recorded level by 1999. Golden eagles likely arrived in 1994, and researchers observed 21 different eagles on the island between fall 1999 and spring 2001. The study described this process as hyperpredation, in which an introduced prey species supports a predator whose increased presence puts additional pressure on native wildlife.The differences between the animals also helped explain the foxes’ vulnerability. Feral pigs reproduce quickly and grow larger than the prey golden eagles typically target, while foxes are smaller and reproduce more slowly. Island foxes are also active during the day, whereas spotted skunks are primarily nocturnal, potentially reducing their exposure to the same hunting pressure. As fox numbers declined on Santa Cruz Island, the researchers’ capture rate for spotted skunks increased 17-fold. On Santa Rosa Island in 2000, the skunk capture rate was 15%, compared with 1.6% for foxes. The findings showed how an introduced species could alter predator behavior and intensify pressure on native wildlife.Facing a high risk of extinction, island foxes were protected through captive breeding, vaccination, pig removal, and efforts to restore bald eagles and relocate golden eagles. (Wikimedia Commons/© Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com, License CC BY-SA)A recovery through cooperationThe foxes’ recovery followed their emergency listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2004. The conservation effort brought together the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, along with hundreds of additional experts and organizations. At the time, officials warned that the foxes faced a substantial risk of extinction within a decade without intervention.The response targeted several causes of the decline rather than focusing on fox numbers alone. Conservation teams restored bald eagles to their historic island territories, removed feral pigs and relocated golden eagles to the mainland. A captive-breeding program also produced foxes for release into the wild, with 226 animals released as part of the recovery effort. Foxes in captivity and in the wild were vaccinated against canine distemper. National Park Service officials described captive rearing as an emergency measure that played a critical role in preventing extinction.By 2015, San Miguel Island supported about 700 foxes, while Santa Cruz Island had about 2,100. Santa Rosa’s population had also recovered to approximately 1,200. On Santa Catalina Island, where canine distemper had contributed to the crisis, the fox population was estimated at roughly 1,800. The island’s fox subspecies was reclassified from endangered to threatened in 2016, although disease continued to pose a management concern.A recovery plan published in March 2015 outlined strategies for responding to disease outbreaks and managing golden eagles. The Interior Department presented the foxes’ recovery as an example of how coordinated management across multiple islands and organizations can help restore a threatened native species.The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. 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