How long would you wait to capture the perfect moment on camera? A California photographer waited three years just to capture three minutes of footage depicting a rare mammal, the Sierra Nevada red fox.
Randy Robbins, the lucky photographer, actually spent a longer time researching the elusive Sierra Nevada red fox species than he did putting together the setup that made it all happen. And incredibly, it was all this preparation and study of animal behaviors that made it all happen.
The population of the Sierra Nevada red fox is believed to be under 100, making them nearly extinct. This particular subspecies of fox is notoriously reclusive, living high up in the mountains, nearly 6,000 feet above sea level.
Part of Robbins’ process for capturing footage of this rare species involved using camera traps, placed strategically on a ledge in Lassen Volcano National Park in Northern California. Robbins placed the camera on this ledge at an altitude of 8,500 feet, pressed record, and waited months for the snow to melt in the area before retrieving his equipment.
While this process may seem like a recipe for disappointment, it turned out to be anything but. Miraculously, Robbins caught not just a short glimpse of the red fox in the wild, but a three-minute clip that depicted a series of behaviors that, while seemingly ordinary, were still incredibly cute to watch.
In the fleeting footage captured by Robbins, the red fox walks into the frame of his camera while sniffing the ground. Then, the elusive species walks to the edge of the ravine where the camera is set up and looks out onto the landscape still covered in snow. The fox then sniffs the air some more, soaks in some more sun, and eventually disappears.
Robbins commented on the footage, saying, “It was really amazing. Normally, what you get is a quick glimpse, like you see a fox running across the screen. This was three minutes of just behavior—it was lounging in the sun and just, you know, being a fox.”
Three years of research and waiting for just three minutes of footage might sound wild, but for Robbins, it was more than worth it. His patience more than paid off, culminating in a rare and endearing glimpse into the lives of one of North America’s most elusive mammals. You can see this amazing footage for yourself below.
To keep up to date with the wildlife photographer, you can follow Randy Robbins on Instagram.
California wildlife photographer Randy Robbins waited three years for a glimpse of a rare North American fox.
He spent years researching the Sierra Nevada red fox, an elusive subspecies which is running the risk of extinction.
Robbins placed a camera at the edge of a ravine he knew the foxes frequented, hit record, and only retrieved his equipment months later, hoping to catch a glimpse of these animals.
His gamble paid off: the camera recorded three minutes of rare fox behaviors. Watch Robbins’ incredible footage below.
Randy Robbins: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Sources: Near-Extinct Red Fox Caught on Trail Cam in National Park After Years of Hoping to Glimpse Elusive Creatures
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