The species of fox is now so rare that it has been estimated that as few as 50 of the animals exist in the world today. As a result, park officials were pleased when motion sensor cameras took pictures of a fox last month.
There are known populations of the creature in two locations. The area adjacent to Sonora Pass near Stockton is one, while Lassen Volcanic National Park is the other.
Sonora Pass is close to the area in which the fox was spotted. If park officials want to encourage tourism, they could employ postcard printing in Stockton. They will be aware of the fact that the fox is protected by Californian legislation.
The Sierra Nevada red fox is dissimilar in appearance from the ordinary fox. This is because it has a white tip on its tail and black on the back of its ears.
Tierra Curry, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, has told The Record:
“It would be fabulous if there was a population no one knew about.”
Park officials have revealed that they will try to obtain hairs from the fox. These could help to indicate whether or not the animal is from the Sonora Pass group.