Inspectors from Finland's wildlife agency Metsähallitus have discovered two new dens made by critically endangered Arctic fox.
The dens were found in Finnish Lapland, where a total of at least 16 cubs were born this past summer.
One of the dens, located near the Enontekiö fells, is the same site where an Arctic fox den was found in Finland for the first time in 25 years last November.
"Thankfully and surprisingly quickly, we are moving in a better direction. This year was a good vole year in many areas of Northern Lapland, so the natural food source of Arctic foxes was in plentiful supply," Petteri Tolvanen, WWF Programme Director, wrote in a press release.
WWF Finland created an Arctic fox working group in 2020 to support the monitoring and conservation of the Arctic fox, which is considered a critically endangered species in Finland.
Despite a good summer for voles, the food situation for the Arctic fox is unstable and often challenging.
Therefore, Metsähallitus and WWF maintain feeding stations in the areas around the fells, which support the survival of Arctic fox cubs and also help the adults to remain in the region, even when natural food supplies are low.
The two Finnish organisations cooperate closely with Sweden and Norway in the Arctic fox conservation efforts.
Climate change, litter remain threats
Although the situation is improving slowly, global warming and its consequences remain a threat to the very existence of the Arctic fox — as does the amount of litter left behind by humans in the fells.
"Increased human presence in fell wilderness areas has also threatened the future of the Arctic fox. For example, there are more food residues and fish left in the terrain, which helps the red fox, which is the arch enemy of the Arctic fox, to thrive in traditional Arctic fox habitats," Tolvanen noted.
Current estimates put the combined adult population in Norway, Sweden and Finland at around 550. This is a significant improvement from the early 2000s, when the population was estimated to be only 40-60 adult individuals.
Finland sees an estimated 10 to 20 Arctic foxes annually, according to Metsähallitus figures, with the number of observations steadily increasing over recent years.
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