To many the arctic fox is a quaint and cute little fluffy animal that they see occasionally on TV. That is the extent of public interest -oh, and fluffy cuddly toy arctic foxes. But like most wild canids it is facing its own drastic population decrease and some fear that it faces extinction.
Although the main threat to arctic foxes (and most wildlife) are humans it is always good to divert attention to another animals (in the UK foxes are blamed for hedgehog numbers falling while the real culprits are...humans via cars, bonfires, poisons and snares and also downright human cruelty).
From the Nature Travels web page: https://www.naturetravels.co.uk/blog/the-arctic-fox-beautiful-elusive-mysterious-and-critically-endangered/
"The arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, otherwise known as the polar fox, is one of Sweden’s most threatened mammals and in danger of extinction everywhere in the European Union.
"In recent years, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, populations of the arctic fox in Sweden have started to increase. However, numbers are still very small and the future for the arctic fox remains fragile.
"In summer 2006, just three litters of foxes were born in Sweden, five in Norway and none at all in Finland. For this reason, Nature Travels chose in 2007 to support SEFALO, a joint project between Sweden, Finland and Norway, as its conservation project of choice.
"Ten years later, in 2017, 31 litters of arctic foxes were born in Sweden alone, a very positive increase and a hopeful sign of the possible long-term recovery of this species. The SEFALO project is no longer in operation, but you can see information and statistics for Swedish arctic fox populations and find out more about current conservation efforts from the Swedish Arctic Fox Project on the Stockholm University Department of Zoology website.
"Arctic foxes are currently most common on Svalbard, 500 miles off the coast of mainland Norway."
The site continues:
"What problems does the arctic fox face?
"Such a small population makes the species extremely vulnerable to changes in demographic factors, or “accidents” such as an outbreak of disease.
"Large areas previously populated by arctic foxes are now empty, and remaining animals find it difficult to find a non-related partner with which to breed.
" Arctic foxes are highly dependent on the natural population fluctuations of small mammals, such as lemmings, on which they feed. These cycles of peaks and troughs tend to repeat every four years, and a “bad” year for rodents can be disastrous for arctic fox populations.
"The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is a strong, successful competitor, and is currently expanding its range into territories inhabited by arctic foxes. Climate change, which is affecting arctic regions in particular with alarming rapidity and severity beyond initial projections, is exacerbating the spread of competing species into arctic fox territory.
"Itself a top predator, the arctic fox is also a victim of predation, ironically from many species which are themselves endangered, including the wolf, wolverine and golden eagle. Traditionally, arctic foxes have been used by indigenous peoples as a source of meat and fur.
"What can be done to conserve and enhance current arctic fox populations?
"A number of conservation activities are underway to attempt to increase populations arctic foxes in Sweden, Norway and Finland and mitigate the factors which threaten their survival:
"With the assistance of volunteers, population and behavioural data for arctic foxes is collected. Some animals have been tagged with radio collars to allow their movements to be monitored and to increase understanding of their behavioural patterns.
"A programme of supplementary feeding is being trialled in an attempt to increase the rates of productivity and decrease mortality among juveniles. Birth and survival rates are then compared with years when no feeding took place to assess the effectiveness of the strategy.
"In some cases control of the red fox population is necessary to safeguard the most valuable arctic fox territories.
"In areas around arctic fox dens in Sweden, it is hoped that a ban on ptarmigan hunting will reduce disturbance in some of the important arctic fox breeding grounds.
"Populations are monitored for disease and there is ongoing research into the cause of diseases likely to affect the fox populations.
"A programme of public education aims to highlight the plight of the arctic fox and raise the profile of the species as a priority for conservation.
"With careful conservation measures, sufficient financial and public support, and a generous amount of good fortune, we hope that the future for the arctic fox both in Sweden and elsewhere will continue to brighten.
"Nature Travels has a number of experiences in Sweden which take place in and around one of the country’s most important remaining arctic fox strongholds – Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve – and some of our partners in the area have been actively involved arctic fox feeding projects, delivering supplementary food to the local fox populations when it is most needed.
"Arctic foxes are also comparatively common on Svalbard in Norway,.
For further information on work to conserve the arctic fox," see http://internt.zoologi.su.se/en/research/alopex/
I think the following line is important: "The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is a strong, successful competitor, and is currently expanding its range into territories inhabited by arctic foxes." Equally important to note is: "In some cases control of the red fox population is necessary to safeguard the most valuable arctic fox territories."
We can see that the environment and manmade problems are a problem and cause for population decline. We can see that humans are also affecting the arctic fox population by still hunting them and in all honesty I would put attempts to save a species well above the need of indigenous peoples to hunt and kill it. Ptarmigan hunting for 'fun' results in arctic foxes being killed by humans (again) because, as we found in the UK, better to wipe out species to preserve the 'fun' of hunting than lose that 'fun'.
Guess what? The biggest threat to arctic foxes comes, clearly, from humans and so attention is slightly diverted from that to those bloody red foxes! Unfortunately, it is quite clear that red foxes have followed human development and habitation (it is how they probably spread from the East into Western Europe and eventually took over territories that had been those of Old fox types) -it is what Vulpes vulpes has historically always done.
This is human created evolution at work. But the answer has always been "let's blame the fox" and then the killing spree starts (oops. Sorry I mean 'harvesting' -the latest safe word for eradication, killing, of a species). Kill red foxes but unless you have laws that strongly protect the arctic fox from the biggest killer -human predation for "tradition" and 'fun'- you have already lost the fight.
It is also a situation where "A programme of supplementary feeding is being trialled in an attempt to increase the rates of productivity and decrease mortality among juveniles." This in itself is interfering with the species in a way that is frowned upon normally. We constantly argue that red foxes should not be fed daily by fox feeders because it habituates them but makes them reliant on humans for food -exceptions are usually during hard winters but even then this is subject to debate in the UK. When do you stop "supplementary feeding"? If it seems successful does someone argue that its success warrants continuation of this programme because in that case you are turning arctic foxes into free range zoo animals -and they are already being used as a tourist attraction.
Let's get rid of this "Big Bad Red Fox" labelling and concentrate on the real problems: human created ones.
"Management" of wild canids from wolves, coyotes and jackals as well as red foxes is still, in the allegedly more environmentally aware 21st century, a case of "Let's 'harvest' them!" and then showing no real control as the breeding population is wiped out or reduced to a point where the population might not survive.
We need to step back and stop human interference which is the greatest threat to the planet.
Or we can just go on wiping out wildlife.
EXTINCTION IS FOREVER
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