Channel Islands and Catalina Island foxes

The Santa Cruz Island fox, one of the subspecies of fox native to California’s Channel Islands, on Santa Cruz Island.

(Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times)

Feb. 12, 2016 3:05 PM PT

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday proposed taking three subspecies of fox native to California’s Channel Islands off the endangered species list. The foxes have made a remarkable recovery since being placed on the list in 2004.

A Santa Cruz Island fox. Wildlife officials have proposed delisting the San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Island foxes, which were classified as endangered in 2004 after suffering catastrophic declines mainly because of predation by Golden eagles.

(Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times)

Santa Cruz Island, south of Santa Barbara, is one of the Channel Islands on which fox subspecies have made a comeback.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

As part of Catalina Island Conservency’s monitoring, a fox is trapped in Avalon in 2012 for treatment and monitoring. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now proposing to downlist the foxes on Santa Catalina Island from endangered to threatened.

(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)