The hoary fox ( Lycalopex vetulus ), a swift runner across Brazil's Cerrado, the world's most biodiverse savanna, is a small animal that rarely reveals itself. In a recent video produced by the Mongabay video team, researcher Federico Lemes stated that little is known about this small and enigmatic creature.
Lemes and his fellow researcher, Fernanda Cavalcanti, have dedicated their lives to studying and conserving the hoary fox, a species found only in Brazil. Their shared love for the fox eventually blossomed into a special bond, leading them to become partners. In an interview with Mongabay, Lemes reminisced, "I have been conducting scientific research related to the knowledge and conservation of this species for 22 years. I fell in love with the fox 20 years ago, and with Fer 17 years ago."
The hoary fox belongs to the genus Lycalopex, making it closer to wolves and jackals than true foxes. This carnivorous mammal, endemic to Brazil with an estimated wild population of fewer than 20,000 mature individuals, is currently classified as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Lemes and Cavalcanti study the hoary fox in agricultural landscapes – agroecosystems that maintain a significant level of biodiversity and wild species. They strive to uncover the lifespan, diet, and threats faced by the hoary fox. The research team captures hoary foxes in the wild to collect blood samples, and some individuals are fitted with GPS tracking devices to monitor their movements. They also install camera traps in areas frequently visited by the hoary fox, particularly outside armadillo burrows used by the foxes and their cubs, to observe their ecology.
Lemes explained that this data collection has yielded various insights, including the finding that hoary foxes inhabiting disturbed environments like pasturelands have poorer nutritional status than those in protected areas. They have also identified various threats facing the hoary fox, ranging from habitat loss due to agricultural development, mining, and charcoal production to diseases transmitted from livestock. Cavalcanti added that this animal is one of the most common victims of roadkill on Brazilian roads.
"After monitoring more than 60 individuals, we found that 47% of the causes of death for hoary foxes, crab-eating foxes, and maned wolves are problems related to human activities," Lemes told Mongabay.
The researchers also estimated the viability of the hoary fox population in the Cumaru region, a pastureland that is part of the Cerrado biome and representative of central Brazil. "The probability of extinction for foxes in this type of environment within 50 years is 80%," Lemes warned.
Faced with such a severe threat of extinction, Lemes and Cavalcanti's efforts to conserve the hoary fox are all the more crucial. Their dedicated research provides vital information about the ecology and threats facing the hoary fox, forming the basis for effective conservation strategies. The passionate love and tireless efforts of these two researchers for an endangered animal hold the key to whether the precious life of the hoary fox in Brazil's Cerrado can be preserved.
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