Distinctly Montana Magazine

MONTANA'S COMEBACK KID: THE SWIFT FOX THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WILDLIFE RESTORATION PROJECT IN NORTH AMERICA BY KIM IBES PHOTOS BY MIKE LOCKHART rior to the mid-1800s, the diminu- tive Swift Fox, like the bison and wolf, abundantly roamed the short grass prairies east of the Rockies in Montana, heading north into Canada and south through the 10 states that make up the Great Plains. Admired across Native American communities for its hunting abilities and speed, the one thing the fox couldn't outrun or out- maneuver was westward expansion. P "WORKING TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS HELPS TO BUILD TRUST THAT CAN SPILL OVER INTO EFFORTS TO RESTORE OTHER SPECIES." www.distinctlymontana.com By the early 1900s, this elusive nocturnal canine vanished from 80% of its historic range. Weighing in around five pounds and standing 12 inches tall the Swift Fox depends on short and mixed-grass prairies to detect and evade predators. Over 45% of its natural habitat was lost to the plow, the cow, and environ- mental events such as fire and climate change. In- tense trapping in the late 1800s and the use of poison to rid the plains of its wolf and prairie dog popula- tions took care of the rest. Montana's last recorded Swift Fox sighting was dated 1918, although it wasn't considered extinct from this part of its historical range until 1969. In 1992 a peti- tion for its inclusion on the endangered species list was submitted and two years later listing was considered warranted though precluded by species with higher priorities. In retrospect, a blessing in disguise. In 1994, wildlife management agencies across the 10 affected Great Plains states and Canada, including a multitude of interested parties like Defenders of Wild- life, formed the Swift Fox Conservation Team (SFCT). Thus began one of the most successful wildlife restora- tion and conservation efforts in North America. 25

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