Alan Palazon
Sat, October 3, 2026
Key takeaways
An Andean Mountain Cat, one of the most endangered cat species in the Andes, has been sighted in Argentina for the third consecutive year by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) using trail cameras.
Credit: Alamy
An elusive Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita) has been sighted by conservationists in Argentina for only the third time in as many consecutive years.
The footage was captured by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Argentina, which commented on the "clear role" that trail cameras have played in helping to conserve what is, according to the organization, the most endangered cat species across the Andes.
Andean cats grow to roughly the same size as a large house cat. Their thick ash-gray fur is marked with brownish-orange spots and stripes, providing excellent camouflage against rocky terrain.
ABOVE: The elusive Andean Mountain Cat captured on a Bushnell trail camera
However, threatened by hunting, habitat loss and a reduction in its prey, the Andean cat is the only one in the Americas listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. WCS Argentina estimates that there are around 2,100 mature individuals across South America.
The latest sighting was recorded in January 2026 in the La Payunia Protected Natural Area of Mendoza Province, which formed part of a broader WCS investigation into the species in northern Argentina over the past two decades.
"Every discovery is great news; it confirms that the Andean cat is still present in the area and that conservation efforts are yielding concrete results," commented Dr María José Bolgeri, regenerative management manager at WCS Argentina.
Andean Mountain Cat biologist, Juan Reppucci, checking camera trap, Abra Granada, Andes, northwestern Argentina | Credit: Alamy
While WCS had first observed the Andean cat with camera traps three years ago, in Neuquén Province, it had yet to snap frames of the feline in Mendoza.
That was until a local farmer described an encounter with one with "remarkable precision". According to Dr Bolgeri, the farmer helped confirm the presence of the cat in the region, therefore helping conservationists decide on where to set up camera traps.
None of the sightings over the past three years, however, establish whether the local Andean cat population is increasing or decreasing.
Instead, they underline the importance of continued camera trap monitoring to improve understanding of the species' distribution and the challenges involved in studying elusive species.
"This is an incredibly rare sight." Michigan DNR confirms photo is of an extremely rare fox
Hillary K. Grigonis
Mon, October 5, 2026
This silver fox was photographed in Canada, but the Michigan DNR recently shared photos of a melanistic gray fox taken in the state. The melanistic red fox is more common than the melanistic gray fox. . | Credit: Jean Landry / Getty ImagesMore
A photo of an unusual fox is quickly picking up viral fame on social media – and authorities at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources say that it's "an incredibly rare sight."
On social media, the Michigan DNR has confirmed that a photo of an unusual dark-furred fox is actually a melanistic gray fox. "This is an incredibly rare sight, and it's the only example we're currently aware of in the Midwest," the government organization said in an Instagram post.
The DNR explained that melanism is a genetic condition that gives an animal a much darker coat than the species usually exhibits. Michigan's most common example of melanism is the black squirrel, which is actually a melanistic gray squirrel.
Michigan has two different species of foxes, the more common red fox and the less common gray fox. The DNR says that the photo is a melanistic gray fox.
Melanistic red foxes, commonly referred to as silver foxes, are uncommon, but more frequently spotted than melanistic gray foxes. A key indicator is the tail. Red foxes have a white tip to the tail, while gray foxes have a black tip. Gray foxes can also climb trees, while red foxes cannot due to differences in their claws.
The social media comments on the post, however, were quick to point out that Michigan's rare melanistic "black" gray fox actually looks rather purple. So what's going on in the photograph?
While the fox's different look is due to genetics, the fox's "purple" is likely due to a photography error. The photograph appears to have an incorrect white balance. White balance adjusts a photo's colors based on the light source, and an incorrect setting can skew a photograph's colors towards orange, green, blue, or purple.
Looking closely in the background of the shot, the white clover flowers also take on a purple tone, suggesting that the purple coloring likely comes from a camera setting and not from manipulating the fox with software.
The Michigan DNR is currently looking for reports of fox sightings, both current and past, particularly with photos, as part of research to better understand where red and gray foxes live in Michigan. The DNR encourages reporting Michigan fox sightings and photos with an online reporting tool.
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