Grasslands National Park and the Swift Fox

This year, Earth Rangers is taking action to help protect the swift fox! These speedy foxes are a threatened species, which is why they need all the help they can get. Earth Rangers aren’t the only friends of the swift fox; the folks at Parks Canada are also helping to protect this incredible animal.

A Swift Fox Home

Swift foxes love grasslands, especially areas with lots of diversity of both plants and animals. It is in these beautiful habitats that swift foxes make dens, raise their young and hunt. Parks Canada protects an area in Saskatchewan that gives the swift fox a safe place to call home; it’s called Grasslands National Park!

As the name suggests, Grasslands National Park has a lot of grass, but it’s not just one kind, the park actually has 70 different species of grasses and 50 species of wildflowers. That is some incredible diversity of life! Grasslands National Park is one of the only areas in Canada where this type of mixed-grass prairie ecosystem is protected, which makes it a pretty unique spot. Swift foxes like to live in Grasslands National Park because there are lots of short-grasses, rolling hills and prey, like small mammals, insects, and birds, for them to eat.

Helping Biodiversity Thrive

Parks Canada works hard to keep Grasslands National Park bustling with biodiversity through a bunch of land management strategies. For example, more grasses are planted in areas that were once used for farming. The single biggest threat to the swift fox is the loss of mixed-grass prairie to cropland so reclaiming grassland habitat is really important for their survival. Grasslands National Park has converted over 600 acres of land that was once used for farming back to native grasses. Prescribed burns are also used by the staff at Grasslands National Park to get rid of old growth and make room for new plants.

Bison Buddies

Parks Canada has help maintaining the park from the animals and plants because all of the species work together to create a balanced ecosystem. Swift foxes depend on other animals in the habitat to help them survive, and one of their good friends is the bison. Bison eat grass and leave behind dung, and both of these things help the swift fox. The dung attracts insects which are a food source for the foxes. The grasses that are grazed on by the bison are shorter, which swift foxes prefer to make their dens in because they can see better and keep an eye out for predators like coyotes.

Help protect the swift fox by starting a Bring Back the Wild campaign.

Parks Canada is proud to connect youth to Canada’s natural wonders and historical treasures. To learn more about Parks Canada’s species at risk work, click here.