“What Does the Fox Say” – A Review of the Grey Fox in Canada and its Current Status as a Threatened Species

Abstract

In Canada, the grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is found with certainty in Ontario and Manitoba, but has also been sighted in other provinces. Interestingly, there is little Canadian research on the grey fox, despite its status as “threatened” on both the Ontario Species at Risk list and on the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Possible reasons that the grey fox has not received as much attention as other at-risk species in Canada include its lack of economic value and its high abundance in the United States (US). It is believed that the grey fox was once as widespread as the red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) in Southern Ontario, but today that is no longer the case. It is currently believed that less than 250 individuals are found in Canada and the fate of their population is unknown. This change in population abundance shows the importance of gaining more information on the grey fox’s current distribution in Canada. Within the US, the primary threat to this species is excessive hunting; while in Canada, by-catch, deforestation, and road mortality represent greater dangers. The focus of this presentation will be to summarize current knowledge on Canadian populations of the grey fox with some reference to populations in the US in order to highlight the importance of this trans-boundary species within Canadian ecosystems. I will provide recommendations to both the Federal Government of Ontario and the Municipality of Peelee Island, while outlining possible conservation solutions for the population decline of the grey fox in Canada.