The first island fox birth of the season occurred in captivity
last week on San Miguel Island, coinciding with an announcement by
professional hunters that more than 4,800 feral pigs on nearby
Santa Cruz Island have been killed since last April. Both
developments signal progress in the recovery of the endangered
island fox (pictured below). According to National Park
authorities, more than two dozen captive foxes are expected to give
birth in the coming weeks, while “significant” births are also
expected from the 223 wild foxes on the northern Channel Islands.
The pig hunt – designed to help rid the islands of the fox-eating
golden eagle – is scheduled for completion in June 2007. Legal
efforts by local businessman and animal rights activist Rick
Feldman to halt the pig hunt were denied in Federal Appeals court
last week.

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