Feel good story of the day
by digby
They only weigh around five pounds — half the size of my cat.
The Catalina Island fox has made one of the most remarkable recoveries known for an endangered species, rebounding in just 13 years from near extinction brought on by a distemper epidemic, wildlife biologists announced Wednesday.
The number of foxes has reached 1,542, surpassing the population of about 1,300 seen before the animals were ravaged by the disease that scientists believe was introduced by a pet dog or a raccoon from the mainland that hitched a ride on a boat or a barge.
“We’re beyond proud,” said Ann Muscat, president and chief executive of the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy. “It’s a testament to what hard work, passion, money and the resiliency of nature can accomplish.”
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