Swift Fox

In the last few years, I have only ever once been lucky enough to see the small Swift Fox out of its den at the Calgary Zoo. When I went on Monday afternoon, there were four of these beautiful creatures running around their enclosure.

"Captive breeding of swift foxes began in 1973 through a privately run program. In 1978,
the species was officially designated as "extirpated" in Canada by COSEWIC, and a
national recovery plan was approved in 1995 to reintroduce swift foxes and create a
self-sustaining Canadian population. The species is now (August 20th, 2003) listed as "endangered" by COSEWIC. Swift foxes were first officially released in Alberta in 1983. By 1996, 540 foxes had been released in the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and the Milk River Ridge areas, parts of the species' native range. Most animals released were bred in captivity; the remainder were wild-born animals imported from the United States. At present (August 20th 2003), it is estimated that there are approximately 96 swift foxes in Alberta, most of them the offspring of released foxes. The population is stable or increasing slightly, but the species remains extremely vulnerable because of its small numbers and limited distribution." From www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/escc/pdf/swift_fox.pdf