IOWA, USA — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking for help to track gray foxes, a species which is experiencing a population decline.
The organization is offering a $400 bounty for trappers to catch a gray fox and contact the Iowa DNR.
Researchers will then put a collar on the fox and release it back into the wild to track its movements.
The agency is doing this research to determine if predators, disease, changes in forest habitats or other reasons are causing gray foxes to disappear.
"It may not be one thing causing their population decline, it might be a combination of factors - but either way, in order for us to know if there's a solution to reversing their population decline, we first need to understand what the problems are better," Iowa DNR Furbearer Biologist Vince Evelsizer said.
Trappers that catch gray foxes are encouraged to contact Vince at (641)-231-1522 or Wildlife Technician Dave Hoffman at (641)-425-0737. They will travel to meet the trapper, so the fox doesn't have to be moved away from its natural environment.
Gray foxes are historically common in the Midwest, but their population has declined in the past 25 years.
More information is available on the Iowa DNR website.
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