Cozumel Fox Confirmed Alive After 22 Years, First-Ever Photo Spurs Conservation Calls
Updated
Updated · New York Post · Jun 17
Cozumel Fox Confirmed Alive After 22 Years, First-Ever Photo Spurs Conservation Calls
3 articles · Updated · New York Post · Jun 17
Summary
A 2023 photograph released in a new study confirmed the Cozumel fox is still alive, marking the first verified sighting since 2001 and the first time the species has ever been captured on camera.
Researchers said park officials briefly captured and released the fox after a health check along Cozumel’s coastal highway near Cancun, turning a blurry image into the key evidence that the species is not extinct.
The study warns the fox remains critically endangered and possibly near extinction, with no species-specific survey ever conducted and only 500- to 1,500-year-old remains previously available as physical evidence.
Up to 40% smaller than mainland gray foxes, the island-endemic predator faces threats from vehicle strikes and feral dogs and cats, prompting scientists to press for urgent research and conservation.