One of the world’s rarest foxes spotted on camera in a California park—fewer than 40 remain

One of the world’s rarest foxes has been spotted in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, leading to one photographer feeling as if he’d “struck gold” as he caught it on camera.

Sierra Nevada red fox: “one of the rarest mammals”

It is believed only 18 to 39 Sierra Nevada red foxes remain in the wild, making it all the more remarkable that Randy Robbins, a wildlife photographer, managed to film two of the animals in three separate clips.

According to Yosemite Conservancy, the fox is “one of the rarest mammals in the world - and believed to be on the edge of extinction”. Despite its name, the fox, which is smaller than many other species, can be mostly black, as well as mostly red, or a grayish-brown cross phase, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

One of the United States’ snowiest places

Robbins certainly wasn’t hopeful of making the furry creatures the stars of his videos, although the photographer went to great lengths to capture footage of the animal kingdom in its most natural state.

With permission, the part-time worship pastor set up his camera at an altitude of 8,500ft in Lassen Volcanic National Park, one of the snowiest places in the United States. The foxes were filmed between late November and early December last year, but Robbins was only able to retrieve his camera and make the startling discovery recently.

“The main road through the park closes in the late fall and usually doesn’t open until late May or early June,” Robbins explains. “It was a 5-mile hike to retrieve the camera, and there was still a huge amount of snow to deal with.”

Sierra Nevada red fox footage

The footage shows two foxes with gray and white fur, one of which was wearing a tracking collar. They can be seen walking about in the rocks during the day, and trotting into the night, with Robbins believing they were simply “sniffing for rodents”.

But despite being the owner of the incredibly rare videos, the photographer’s business with the Sierra Nevada red fox isn’t done yet. “The quest is not over. I still want my photo”.

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