A rare, red fox was spotted in California's Yosemite National Park for the first time in 100 years, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Motion-sensitive trail cameras inside the park captured images of the Sierra Nevada red fox trekking through the snow in December 2014, Grind TV reported. The sly animal was photographed again on Jan. 4.
"We're thrilled to hear about the sighting of the Sierra Nevada red fox, one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada," said park Superintendent Don Neubacher.
Sierra Nevada red foxes are on the brink of extinction, with only an estimated 50 of the animals left in North America. Factors including climate change, livestock grazing and competition from other fox species not native to the area have decreased their numbers, according to Grind TV.
The U.S. Forest Service discovered a small pack of the red foxes in 2010 in the Sonora Pass area located north of Yosemite, park officials said. Before that, the last time a Sierra Nevada fox was seen in the area was 20 years ago.
Researchers hope to install hair snare stations to catch samples for genetic testing to see if the fox spotted in Yosemite is related to the ones in Sonora Pass.
"We're excited to work across our boundaries to join efforts with other researchers that will ultimately give these foxes the best chances at recovery," said park wildlife biologist Sarah Stock.
