The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been studying kit foxes since 2012. Recently, they captured rare video of two adults and their five playful pups.
Kit foxes are a diminutive desert animal, just four to six pounds. They’re listed as a sensitive species in Oregon, with a small or declining population. Meghan Dugan with ODFW says Malheur and Harney Counties are as far north as the species has been found:
Dugan: “The goal of the project is trying to find out their distribution in Oregon. Since they are at the top of their range, they’re pretty widespread throughout the west but in Oregon their habitat is limited. And ultimately we would like to figure out how to get a better population estimate.”
Dugan says five adult foxes currently have GPS monitors. The family caught on camera is one of two known dens with pups.
The video is available on the ODFW website, here.
