Rick_C
Contributor
Santa Rosa Island is more than just a SCUBA destination. The island offers amazing diversity, incredible hiking and miles of white sand beaches. It’s also home to the adorable Island Fox as well as one of the rarest pines in the world. Remains of the endemic pygmy mammoth have been uncovered here. The oldest human skeletal remains in North America were found on Santa Rosa Island (The Arlington Man). My wife and I just spent a week on the island and wanted to share a video of our experience:
Also included on the video is some footage of the Island Fox, which as been rescued from the brink of extinction. Amazingly in the year 2000, only 15 foxes remained, but they have now made a full recovery and in August 2016 they were removed from the endangered species list. Here's the success story in a nutshell:
- The foxes were put in a captive breeding program.
- The golden eagles that were feasting on the foxes were relocated.
- Bald eagles that had disappeared from the islands due to DDT were reintroduced (they help keep the golden eagles away).
- The non-native feral pigs were removed from the islands as they attracted the golden eagles.
Also included on the video is some footage of the Island Fox, which as been rescued from the brink of extinction. Amazingly in the year 2000, only 15 foxes remained, but they have now made a full recovery and in August 2016 they were removed from the endangered species list. Here's the success story in a nutshell:
- The foxes were put in a captive breeding program.
- The golden eagles that were feasting on the foxes were relocated.
- Bald eagles that had disappeared from the islands due to DDT were reintroduced (they help keep the golden eagles away).
- The non-native feral pigs were removed from the islands as they attracted the golden eagles.
