With the technical assistance of the Bramble Park Zoo in Watertown, SD, we are exploring the potential to use captive-bred swift foxes for future releases to the wild. Currently there are 16 zoos exhibiting swift foxes across the country, with other zoos expressing an interest in promoting swift fox education. While research has shown that wild foxes survive better during reintroductions than those reared in captivity, established populations of wild fox are limited in numbers. Supplementing wild foxes with captive-born foxes may help reduce some of the pressure on these wild populations. More importantly, these zoos will help keep the public informed about the progress of our reintroduction effort. It’s a partnership that relies on the strengths of each organization -- the zoos with their ability to care for captive wildlife while educating the public, and TESF with our ability to carry out the field activities associated with restoring native species.

We plan to release 30 to 40 foxes, half males, half females, each year for the next 6 -10 years until a self-generating population is established. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the SD Game, Fish and Parks have issued us permits to live-trap wild foxes from SE Wyoming and release them on the Bad River Ranches. At this time we are waiting for an additional permit from the South Dakota Animal Industry Board to import and release the foxes.
All foxes will be marked for identification and fitted with radio collars so we can track their movements, determine their long-term survival and evaluate the overall success of the release. We plan to locate all foxes daily from the ground and from the air as needed for the first two months following release. After two months, we will attempt to locate collared foxes on a weekly basis. We have established a toll-free Swift Fox Hotline [(888) 458-1978] to report sightings, den locations, or dead foxes. We also encourage the public to call us with any information or questions about swift foxes in their area.