Shemya Fox

Aleutian Fox

Blue Phase of the Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus)

Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Aleutians, Alaska, USA

Arctic Foxes (locally called ‘scruffies’) were introduced by Russian fur traders as early as 1750 to neighbouring Attu and in 1775 to Shemya. Arctic Foxes were (re-)introduced to Shemya (this time by Aleuts from Attu?) in 1911 using breeding stock from the Commander Islands (Bering Island, Medny Island). Uninhabited Shemya essentially became a free-range ‘fur farm’ that was occasionally visted for fox trapping. The foxes feed on birds and on marine life caught/found in the intertidal zone.

The Aleutians are part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, with Shemya being under special status as an operational facility of the US Air Force/Department of Defence. The US FWS has successfully improved bird habitat throughout the Aleutians through the eradication of foxes and rats. While the foxes reduce the presence of breeding Alaskan Geese, an endangered species, on Shemya, they are allowed to remain on Shemya. This is a management decision as breeding geese could cause potentially fatal bird strikes with aircraft taking off from Eareckson Air Station.

The foxes are habituated to the presence of humans. While feeding them is officially prohibited, their fearless and inquisitive behaviour indicates that this occurs/-ed.

Shemya is one the Semichi Islands, which belong to the Near Island Group of the Aleutians.