A dedicated wildlife photographer in California has just captured trail cam footage of an incredibly rare subspecies of fox, according to Outdoors: the Sierra Nevada red fox.

Randy Robbins of Randy Robbins Photography has set up trail cameras in Lassen Volcanic National Park under a Special Use Permit for several years, in the hope of capturing images of this elusive animal. It is a significant challenge; there are only two populations of this subspecies in the wild, located in California’s Sierra Nevada and the southern Cascade Range of California and Oregon. Consequently, the Sierra Nevada population consists of fewer than 40 individuals.

“Some very rare Sierra Nevada Red Fox footage here!” Robbins said in a social media post sharing the footage. “I’ve been after Sierra Nevada Red Fox with my camera traps for three years, and in the process I’ve gotten some trail cam footage, but these are some pretty special clips. [. . .] They are one of the rarest mammals in North America.”

While other subspecies of red fox have been introduced to this area of California from other parts of the world, the Sierra Nevada red fox is special because it is native to the area. Native species evolve in tune with their surroundings and the other plants and animals in their ecosystem to take part in a complex web of interactions that holds the entire system together. These organisms rely on each other for food, shelter, and other needs — so when one species vanishes, it puts incredible strain on the others.

Trail cam footage isn’t just a novelty; it is also essential to help researchers keep an eye on these threatened species. By documenting the presence of these animals in the wild and getting video and photos of the individuals, photographers can give researchers a wealth of information about the animals in a non-invasive way. That being the case, Robbins’ dedication makes sense — and hopefully, he will keep it up.

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