Swift Fox

The last time I went to the Calgary Zoo, I was lucky enough to see four of these beautiful little Swift Foxes in their enclosure. I had only ever seen one, once before.

"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