Trail Cam Captures ‘Very Rare’ Footage of Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Randy Robbins of Randy Robbins Photography is getting some much-deserved press thanks to his brilliant trail-cam footage of a very rare and endangered subspecies of the Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator). Robbins has caught this elusive subspecies on camera a few times since he set his trail cameras up in Lassen Volcanic National Park under a Special Use Permit, but his most recent footage is drawing gobs of attention to the plight of this little fox.

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According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), there are just two populations of this species—one in California’s Sierra Nevada (including Lassen Volcanic National Park) and one in the southern Cascade Range of California and Oregon. The Sierra Nevada population is down to fewer than 40 individuals, making Robbins’ footage particularly special. USFWS says the species as a whole faces threats such as wildfire and drought, competition with coyotes, decreases in prey numbers, and hybridization with non-native foxes.

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“Some very rare Sierra Nevada Red Fox footage here!” Robbins wrote in his recent post sharing the trail-cam footage from last winter. “I’ve been after Sierra Nevada Red Fox with my camera traps for three years, and in the process I’ve gotten some trail cam footage, but these are some pretty special clips. [. . .] They are one of the rarest mammals in North America.”

See Robbins’ beautiful footage of a rare fox here:

And here is some additional footage of the subspecies Robbins has captured in the past:

Header public domain image of a Sierra Nevada red fox by the National Park Service. Caption: “2014 reappearance in Yosemite after nearly 100 years”

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