Rare Sierra Nevada Red Fox Captured in California Mountains

First-ever GPS tracking collar placed on elusive carnivore in southern Sierra Nevada range.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have captured and fitted a rare Sierra Nevada red fox with a GPS-tracking collar in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. This marks the first time the department has been able to closely study one of California's rarest and most elusive native carnivores in this region.

Why it matters

The Sierra Nevada red fox is an extremely rare and threatened species, with fewer than 50 estimated to exist in the entire Sierra Nevada population. Tracking this collared animal will provide critical insights to help biologists work toward recovering the species in the long term.

The details

The red fox was safely captured near Mammoth Lakes in January and then released back into the California mountain range. This opportunity comes after 10 years of remote camera and scat surveys to determine the fox's range in the southern Sierra, followed by three years of intensive trapping efforts by the CDFW team.

  • The red fox was captured and collared in January 2026.
  • In 2018, CDFW biologists collared several red foxes in the Lassen Peak region of northern California.

The players

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)

The state agency responsible for managing and protecting California's fish and wildlife resources.

Julia Lawson

CDFW Environmental Scientist who led the efforts to capture and collar the rare Sierra Nevada red fox.

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What they’re saying

“This represents the culmination of 10 years of remote camera and scat surveys to determine the range of the fox in the southern Sierra, and three years of intensive trapping efforts.”

— Julia Lawson, CDFW Environmental Scientist (X)

“Our goal is to use what we learn from this collared animal to work toward recovering the population in the long term.”

— Julia Lawson, CDFW Environmental Scientist (X)

What’s next

The CDFW will closely track the movements of the collared Sierra Nevada red fox to gather critical data to aid in the long-term recovery efforts for this threatened species.

The takeaway

The successful capture and collaring of this rare Sierra Nevada red fox represents a major milestone in the conservation of one of California's most elusive native carnivores. The data gathered from this collared animal will be invaluable in guiding future efforts to protect and restore the dwindling population of this threatened species.