Fort Belknap reintroducing Swift Fox after 50 years

Many of you over 50 might remember what a swift fox is, but younger folks may have never heard of this species and know that it was quite common around these areas not long ago. Swift foxes are short/mid-grass prairie specialists. These small carnivores are about the size of a house cat — smaller than their plains neighbors, the red foxes, and coyotes.

They mostly eat small mammals (like rodents and rabbits), as well as insects, birds, dead animals, and occasionally plants. These foxes are mainly monogamous, with pairs forming in February, mating in March, and rearing three to six kits from Ma...