The Delmarva fox squirrel had been recorded as one of the 78 endangered species that is being protected by the Endangered Species Preservation Act that was introduced in 1967, according to Washington Post. The squirrel was deemed at the brink of extinction when is habitat was reduced to just a small patch of land due to forest clearing and urban development.
The DFS has the same appearance as the common gray squirrels found all over the US suburbs and cities. When they grow to adulthood, they can measure up to 30 inches long and weigh up to 3 pounds. Moreover, these rodents like living in woodlands better than in suburbs or parkland in the metro. This type is scattered around the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
In addition, as the land has been the fox squirrel's habitat for ages, it has been named after the Delmarva. Then again, after the once lush forest fell victim to extensive clearing for timber harvest, agriculture and hunting, the rodents eventually decrease in number over the years. By 1967, only about 10 percent of its population were left so they were categorized as "endangered."
In an effort to bring back the huge population of the squirrels, the US Fish and Wildlife Service worked hand in hand with the government, landowners and other organizations that support the cause. The agency placed the rodents in a safe location where they can live peacefully and grow in number. The officials also issued total ban on hunting the species.
The strategy proved to be very effective as officials counted about 20,000 fox squirrels existing all over Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The animals are now roaming more or less 135,000 acres of forest land in the vicinity. This is a big space compared to only 32,000 acres in 1990.
Now, with rodents huge increase in terms of population, this December 2015, the FWS is now set to officially take out the DFS from the list of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act or ESA.
"The fox squirrel's return to this area, rich with farmland and forest, marks not only a major win for conservationists and landowners, but also represents the latest in a string of success stories that demonstrate the Endangered Species Act's effectiveness," the U.S. Department of the Interior's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Park, Michael Bean said.
The announcement that the fox squirrel is now out of danger from extinction is a clear win for the American conservationists who were rallying to preserve the animals at all costs
