For the first time in almost 100 years, Yosemite National Park has been able to announce the confirmed sighting of one of North America’s rarest mammals: the Sierra Nevada red fox. Next time you go to Yosemite National Park, look for a new and rarely seen visitor: the Sierra Nevada red fox. An incredibly rare Sierra Nevada red fox has been spotted has inside Yosemite National Park for the first time in a century. In recent decades, the Sierra Nevada Red Fox has been detected in the Lassen Peak region and in the central Sierra Nevada near Sonora Pass and Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park is excited to report the first confirmed sighting in the park of a rare Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) in nearly 100 years. This subspecies of red fox has genetic roots reaching back to the ice age. However, undetected populations may exist throughout these ranges – the red fox population occurring near … The Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) is a member of the canid (dog) family that is found only in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade mountains in California. The Sierra Nevada red fox of California is one of the rarest mammals in North America, likely consisting of fewer than 50 individuals. The fox, a candidate for the endangered species list, is extremely rare in its namesake range. A Sierra Nevada red fox, one of North America’s rarest mammals, was spotted in Yosemite National Park for the first time in nearly 100 years, authorities announced. It's one of 14 mammals protected in the state of California. Role of predation: Predation keeps the populations of prey from growing to an overwhelmingly large number. For the first time in nearly 100 years, a Sierra Nevada red fox was spotted at Yosemite National Park. Last seen within Yosemite National Park boundaries in 1916, Yosemite wildlife biologists were on the lookout for the Sierra Nevada red fox after a confirmed sighting by a motion sensor camera was made at nearby Sonora Pass in 2010. “Confirmation of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite National Park’s vast alpine wilderness provides an opportunity to join research partners in helping to protect this imperiled animal,” Yosemite wildlife biologist Sarah Stock said in a news release. 2.) Why this work matters: In early 2015, through a Conservancy-supported project, biologists reported the first sighting of a Sierra Nevada red fox within Yosemite National Park borders in 99 years. “We are thrilled to hear about the sighting of the Sierra Nevada red fox, one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada,” stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent.