The Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae), one of six subspecies of island fox endemic to California’s Channel Islands, represents a continuing conservation success story. Following its near extinction in the late 1990s, the Catalina Island Conservancy has maintained a comprehensive recovery and monitoring program focused on long-term population health and stability. Annual island-wide trapping and radio-collar monitoring provide essential data on distribution, survival, and disease exposure, while vaccination efforts help safeguard the population against potential disease outbreaks. Additional initiatives include infectious disease surveillance, collaborative research on genetics and microbiomes, and outreach programs aimed at increasing public awareness and engagement in fox conservation. Through adaptive management and continued monitoring, the Conservancy ensures that the Catalina Island fox population remains stable, reflecting ongoing recovery and sustained health across the island.

Katie Elder received her masters in biology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo studying island foxes on Santa Rosa Island and is currently the Wildlife Conservation Manager for the Catalina Island Conservancy. Destiny Saucedo is the Wildlife Biologist for the Catalina Island Conservancy and currently completing her masters at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her thesis research focuses on San Clemente Island fox pup and maternal ecology. Today’s talk won’t be about the Santa Rosa or San Clemente island foxes, but rather the foxes of Catalina Island.