![]() ![]() Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Fish and Game-to engage in an intensive, science-based restoration program to save the island fox and revitalize the natural communities of Santa Cruz Island.Īs part of this effort, feral sheep and pigs were removed from the island and golden eagles were captured and relocated to the mainland. ![]() The Nature Conservancy worked with its partners-the National Park Service, U.S. The island’s native bald eagles, which are highly territorial and prey on fish rather than foxes, had been wiped out by DDT contamination nearly five decades ago, leaving golden eagles free to devastate the fox population.A new island predator-the golden eagle-moved in from the mainland to prey on piglets and island foxes, wiping out 95% of the fox population in less than a decade.Ten species of plants and animals faced extinction, including the Santa Cruz Island fox-the island’s top predator for thousands of years.Feral pigs and sheep-descendants of introduced domestic livestock-overgrazed the island, severely altering its natural systems and landscape. ![]() When The Nature Conservancy purchased most of Santa Cruz Island in 1978, it was an island in crisis. Today, TNC and its partners are focused on preserving the island’s unique plants and animals and sharing lessons learned in island restoration with other island conservation projects around the world. Once on the brink of ecological collapse, Santa Cruz Island now offers visitors a glimpse of what southern California used to be like hundreds of years ago.Īfter three decades of tireless work, Santa Cruz Island has emerged as a leading example for successful island restoration and innovative conservation. More than 1,000 species of plants and animals inhabit the island’s high peaks, deep canyons, pastoral valleys and 77 miles of dramatic coastline. Twenty-five miles off the coast of southern California lies Santa Cruz Island, the largest of California’s eight Channel Islands. ![]()
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