Watch: Rare, endangered fox caught on camera in California national park

Rare, endangered red fox spotted in California national park

In footage released in June, a Sierra Nevada red fox was seen ambling over a rocky outcrop in a snow-covered Lassen Volcanic National Park in December.

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - What started off as a seedling of an idea to photograph one of the most elusive creatures in California turned into a three-year-long passion project for one photographer.

In 2022, Randy Robbins set out to capture an image of the rarely seen Sierra Nevada red fox, an endangered species living solely in the Golden State and Oregon and with fewer than 100 left in the wild.

"We're a couple generations away from these foxes dying out due to inbreeding and that kind of thing, because their populations are so small," he noted. "So I think telling their story and getting the word out is important just to sort of motivate people because people care – people want them to be saved."

A Sierra Nevada red fox in Lassen Volcanic National Park (left); a black and yellow-red Sierra Nevada red fox near Yosemite National Park (right).

(Jay Powers / NPS; Pete Figura / California Department of Fish and Wildlife / FOX Weather)

Robbins began doing research about the animal, learning about its behavior and its habitat to help him pinpoint the best location for his cameras.

That information led him to northern California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park last fall, where he climbed up to an elevation of 8,500 feet. Given the location, Robbins knew the upcoming winter months would bring enough snow to eventually bury his camera.

Undeterred, he placed his camera in an area where he believed he could still take a good shot at a fox.

"I was sort of shooting across a little ravine at a high spot on the rocks," he said. "These foxes like to travel on rocks when they can."

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Months would go by before Robbins could see what his camera was able to capture, as the heavy snow he foresaw blanketed the area over the winter and spring.

Then in June, the snow melted just enough for him to retrieve his camera and find out whether his journey to catch a glimpse of the red fox that winter resulted in a bust.

Robbins shared footage from his camera this week. 

It shows a small fox with its thick red coat and puffy tail meandering through pristine snow to stand on a rocky overlook. The animal then appears to take stock of the view, as it gazes out at a vista of snowy mountaintops and cotton-like clouds.

Robbins noted that the recording took place in December, according to the timestamp on the footage. He also shared what it felt like to see the fox in his footage.

"It was really amazing," he said. "Normally, what you get is a quick glimpse, like you see a fox running across the screen. This was three minutes of just behavior – it was lounging in the sun and just, you know, being a fox."

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He noted that he hadn’t seen footage similar to his during his research, so he showed what he captured to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

He hopes that, by sharing his footage, people can see that they have a role to play in helping preserve the habitats of the red fox and helping ensure a better future for the animal.

The National Park Service said the Sierra Nevada red fox is native to its namesake mountain range and have a genetic lineage that dates back to the Ice Age.

"Although once found throughout the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada red fox is now one of the rarest mammals in California," NPS officials said. 

They noted that the only known populations of Sierra Nevada red fox live around Lassen Volcanic National Park and the Sonora Pass area near Yosemite National Park.

You can see more of Robbins' work at Randy Robbins Photography.