Taking a quick nap

One of the small Swift Foxes taking a nap at the Calgary Zoo. They are such beautiful animals and I love the way they tuck themselves into a furry ball to catch a bit of sleep.

"The swift fox (Vulpes velox), is one of the smallest foxes in the world, and is only found in the Great Plains of North America. This fox is only about the size of a house cat, standing about 30 cm high and weighing about 2.7 kilograms. The swift fox gets its name because it can reach speeds of up to 40 km per hour. At one time the fox could be found in great numbers all over the Canadian grasslands of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Their U.S. range included several states between North Dakota and Mexico.

The swift fox is now endangered in 90% of its historical habitat range. The reasons for the disappearance of swift foxes in both Canada and the U.S. are uncertain, but strychnine-poisoning, intensive trapping (in the past), and habitat destruction are thought to be the primary causes.

In 1973, a captive breeding program for swift foxes began in Cochrane, Alberta. The captive breeding program for these foxes, supported by Wildlife Preservation Trust of Canada (WPTC), has been very successful. With a well-established breeding program, swift fox releases began in 1983. The Swift Fox Recovery Team decided to begin in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in an effort to reintroduce this species to its native Canadian habitat." From www.thewildones.org/Animals/swiftFox.