In 1999, the Catallina Island Fox faced extinction. Canine distemper had been introduced to the island -- likely by an infected dog from the mainland. The foxes had no immunity to the disease and 90 percent of them perished. Only 100 foxes remained at the west end of the island beyond Two Harbors, and the foxes were listed as a federally endangered species in 2004.

The Santa Catalina Island Conservancy (catalinaconservancy.org) immediately committed resources to saving the foxes and enlisted the help of Dave Garcelon's Institute for Wildlife Studies (iws.org) to develop and implement a plan. First, they had to discover why the foxes were dying. Then they had to save the remaining foxes and repopulate the island.

Today, there is a happy ending! At the end of 2013, the Conservancy estimated that over 1800 foxes populated the island. And although the population has rebounded, the foxes remain on the endangered species list.

This 10 minute video summarizes the efforts of the Conservancy to save the foxes. A longer 30 minute version was produced that won Videographer and Telly awards in Environmental and Fundraising categories.